The Duchess of Sussex is celebrating her big day by helping women find work during the pandemic.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/meghan-markle-style-fashion-moments-royal-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meghan Markle</a> has always placed philanthropy high on her list of priorities, but nothing tops her turning her 40th birthday into a way to uplift women around the world. While celebrating her big day, the actress announced, as a part of her and her husband <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/why-archie-is-not-a-prince-harry-meghan-markle-son" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prince Harry</a>'s <a href="https://archewell.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archewell Foundation</a>, the <a href="https://archewell.com/40x40/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40x40 initiative</a> which calls on professionals to dedicate 40 minutes of their time to mentor women reentering the workforce impacted by mass layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Duchess of Sussex announced the program in a short video with actress <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/the-little-mermaid-film-plot-cast-trailer-disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa McCarthy</a> on the Archewell Foundation's website. She explains that she is calling on 40 friends to give 40 minutes of their time to help unemployed women in the United States and around the world find new jobs.

Among some of Markle's friends that she's enlisted are <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/little-known-facts-about-adele" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A</a><a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/little-known-facts-about-adele" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dele</a>, Jos&eacute; Andr&eacute;s, Deepak Chopra, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/amanda-gorman-poet-style-prada-moschino" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amanda Gorman</a>, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/stella-mccartney-fall-winter-2021-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stella McCartney</a>, Amanda Nguyen, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/famous-feminists-that-changed-womens-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gloria Steinem</a>, and Sophie Gr&eacute;goire Trudeau.
"In reflecting on my 40th birthday and the many things I am grateful for, I&rsquo;m struck that time is among our greatest and most essential gifts," said the duchess in an open letter on the Archewell Foundation website. "Time with our loved ones, time doing the things we love, time spent learning, laughing, growing, and the sacred time we have on this earth. Amongst the most valuable gifts of time is also time spent in service to others knowing that it can contribute to incredible change. To that last point, and with my 40th lap around the sun in mind, it made me wonder: what would happen if we all committed 40 minutes to helping someone else or to mentoring someone in need? And then what would happen if we asked our friends to do the same?"
She continued, "In the past two years, and in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic,&nbsp;tens of millions of&nbsp;women around the world have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_814499.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left the workforce</a>, including&nbsp;<a href="https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Final_NWLC_Press_CovidStats.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over two million women in the U.S</a>. So many of these women are also&nbsp;shouldering the brunt of the crisis&nbsp;when it comes to unpaid labor, including schooling and caring for family members. And the&nbsp;<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1096102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest research</a>&nbsp;shows that&nbsp;fewer women than men will regain work&nbsp;as we recover from the pandemic.
"I believe mentorship is one way to help women regain confidence and rebuild their economic strength, and for my birthday, I have asked 40 friends, activists, athletes, artists, and world leaders to help kickoff a global effort by contributing&nbsp;40 minutes of mentorship to support women re-entering the workforce. With this time, I hope they each help someone advance a professional life on her own terms, and, I hope that they inspire countless others to give 40 minutes of their time as well."

Meghan Markle setting off with new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Meghan Markle Launches Mentorship Initiative for Her 40th Birthday

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Meghan Markle Launches Mentorship Initiative for Her 40th Birthday

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