Meghan Markle shares childhood video to celebrate International Day of the Girl

The Duchess of Sussex has shared a sweet throwback to her earliest days as an activist fighting against sexism on International Day of the Girl.

In a post on Instagram, the former Suits star said women should know their worth as she shared old footage of herself as an 11-year-old protesting against a sexist dish soap commercial in the 90s.

"Every girl has potential, she has promise, she has the right to learn, the right to be heard, the right to play and to discover, the right to be exactly who she is," the Duchess said.

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"So to each one of you, keep asking questions, keep pushing forward, keep shining brightly. Know your worth and know that we are behind you, every step of the way."

The commercial for Ivory dishwashing soap that had outraged young Meghan had used the tagline "women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans".

Meghan argued it was wrong to assume only women cleaned dishes and wrote an angry letter to the company, successfully convincing it to change the tagline to: "People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans".

"If you see something that you don't like or are offended by on television or on any other place, write letters and send them to the right people and you can really make a difference, not just for yourself but lots of other people," she told Nickelodeon's Nick News at the time.

Years later, Meghan told a UN Women's event that she was proud of creating a "small level of impact by standing up for equality".

"The Duchess of Sussex has been a long time advocate for women's and girls rights … No matter what age, or what background you have the power to make an impact," Sussex Royal wrote on Instagram.

"Her royal highness recently shared a quote during a speech in Cape Town: 'Visualise your highest self, and show up as her'. To all of the young girls reading this today on International Day of the Girl, that quote is for you."

Last month, Meghan gave a moving speech during her royal tour of South Africa with Prince Harry and son Archie, telling the crowd she was visiting as a mother, a wife, a woman, a woman of colour, and their sister.

"I am here with you and I am here for you and I thank you so much for showing my husband and I the spirit of Ubuntu," she said.