Markle has long been championed as an advocate for women's rights around the globe. Her official royal biography states that she has a "lifelong commitment to causes such as social justice and women's empowerment." In 2015, before she married Prince Harry, she began work with the UN Women's Advocate for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership . In 2018, she gave a speech in honour of the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand.