Meghan Markle speaks out about the shame of menstruation

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The 35-year-old wrote about how the stigma surrounding menstruation hinders girls around the world from pursuing an education
Meghan traveled to India in January, and she spoke with many girls who shared that they feel embarrassed to go to school when they have their periods

Published: 17:01 EST, 8 March 2017 | Updated: 08:50 EST, 9 March 2017

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry both share a passion for humanitarian causes, and the actress is now raising awareness for the direct impact the stigmatization of menstruation has on young women around the world.

After traveling to India with World Vision in January, the 35-year-old penned a powerful essay for Time about how the shame associated with menstruation and the lack of access to appropriate sanitation hinders girls from pursuing an education in developing nations.

'One hundred and thirteen million adolescent girls between the ages of 12-14 in India alone are at risk of dropping out of school because of the stigma surrounding menstrual health,' she explained.

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Giving back: Meghan Markle shadowed women who manufacture sanitary napkins and sell them within the community when she visited India in January

Humanitarian: After her trip, Meghan penned a powerful essay about how the shame associated with menstruation hinders girls from pursuing an education in developing nations

Changing the world: The 35-year-old, who is pictured in Rwanda last year, traveled to India in January with World Vision

'During my time in the field, many girls shared that they feel embarrassed to go to school during their periods, ill equipped with rags instead of pads, unable to participate in sports, and without bathrooms available to care for themselves, they often opt to drop out of school entirely.'

Meghan, who visited Dehli and Mumbai during her trip, went on to say menstrual health is often not discussed at home because of the 'taboo nature of the subject'.

'Many girls believe their bodies are purging evil spirits, or that they are injured once a month; this is a shame-filled reality they quietly endure,' she said.

'All of these factors perpetuate the cycle of poverty and stunt a young girl's dream for a more prolific future.'

Serious stigma: Meghan revealed that when she went to India, many girls told her that they felt embarrassed to go to school during their periods

Spreading her message: The actress said that young girls all over the world are having their potential squandered because people are 'too shy' to talk about menstruation

The United Nations advocate explained that if a girl misses school every time she gets her period, she will end behind her male classmates by 145 days.

If they end up dropping of school, Meghan noted that they are 'increasing their subjection to dangerous work, susceptibility to being victims of violence, and most commonly, being conditioned for early childhood marriage.'

Meghan stressed that in order to remedy this problem, girls need Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), access to toilets and sanitary pads.

During her trip, the actress shadowed women who manufacture sanitary napkins and sell them within the community, and she noted that the women's work is also opening the 'dialogue of menstrual hygiene in their homes'.

'Beyond India, in communities all over the globe, young girls' potential is being squandered because we are too shy to talk about the most natural thing in the world,' she said.

Wedding: Harry and Meghan attended the wedding of his good friend Tom Inskip in Jamaica last week

Shared interests: Both Meghan and her boyfriend Prince Harry have a passion for humanitarianism

Actress by day: Meghan stars on the USA legal drama Suits (pictured)

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'To that I say: we need to push the conversation, mobilize policy making surrounding menstrual health initiatives, support organizations who foster girls' education from the ground up, and within our own homes, we need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation.'

Last year, Meghan traveled to Rwanda for World Vision's clean water campaign, and she credits her parents for her philanthropic nature.

'Both my parents came from little, so they made a choice to give a lot – buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to patients in hospice care, donating any spare change in their pocket to those asking for it, and performing quiet acts of grace – be it a hug, a smile, or a pat on the back to show ones in need that they would be alright,” she wrote on her lifestyle blog The Tig last October.

'This is what I grew up seeing, so that is what I grew up being: a young adult with a social consciousness to do what I could, and to, at the very least, speak up when I knew something was wrong.'

Over the weekend, Meghan joined Prince Harry in Jamaica to attend the wedding of his childhood friend Tom Inskip, who said 'I do' to Lara Hughes-Young.