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Meghan Markle shares throwback video for International Day of the Girl

The Duchess of Sussex included a snippet of her as an 11-year-old fighting against sexist advertising.
/ Source: TODAY

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, knows all about what it's like to be a young girl fighting against gender inequality.

The former Meghan Markle even has the throwback video footage to prove it, which she shared on Instagram Friday as part of an empowering message to young girls in recognition of International Day of the Girl.

Meghan included a snippet of her 1993 appearance as an 11-year-old on a Nickelodeon news program in which she successfully fought against sexist advertising.

"If you see something that you don't like or are offended by on television or any other place, write letters or send them to the right people and you can really make a difference for not just yourself but lots of other people,'' the future royal says in the video.

The young Markle complained in a letter to Proctor & Gamble about a television commercial for dishwashing detergent in which it's implied that women do all the cleaning.

The company responded by changing a crucial line in the ad from "women are fighting greasy pots and pans" to "people" are fighting greasy pots and pans instead.

"The Duchess of Sussex has been a long time advocate for women’s and girls rights and at the age of eleven campaigned against a sexist advertisement, which was then changed," the Instagram caption reads. "No matter what age, or what background you have the power to make an impact."

The throwback clip in the Instagram video comes amidst scenes of young girls from around the world, including ones visited by Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, during their recent trip to Africa.

The International Day of the Girl was created by the United Nations to focus on fighting against gender inequality across the world.

"Every girl has potential, she has promise, she has the right to learn, the right to be heard,'' the royal says in a voiceover in the Instagram video. "The right to play and to discover. The right to be exactly who she is."

The Duchess of Sussex has made feminism and empowerment of women a central theme of her work since she has been in the spotlight after joining the royal family.

"It's impossible for me to sit back and not do anything,'' she said at a panel for International Women's Day in March. "My role now expands that platform. It is about global feminism. I started at 11, but it still feels like the beginning."

She ended the Instagram video on Friday with a message to all young girls.

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