The Duchess of Sussex spoke with teenage girls as she encouraged the “young activists” to share the challenges their generation faced in order for their voices to be heard.

Meghan hosted a virtual roundtable with a group of 13 to 18-year-olds – primarily girls of colour – who are part of the US non-profit organisation Girls Inc.

The duchess, joined by the leaders of Girls Inc and The National Women’s Law Centre, which advocates women’s legal rights, spoke of “everyday struggles during Covid-19”, including mental health, racism and “identity loss and isolation”.

A post on the Archewell website – the foundation set up by the Sussexes – said the roundtable gave the young women a platform to “help define a path forward and continue making an impact”.

It said the group had ambitions of medical professionals, senators, and presidents, adding that “as young activists, these girls are already making an impact around education, social justice, and health and wellness in their own schools and communities”.

It continues: “The girls who attended had strong and incisive perspectives on issues critical to girls today.”

The duchess, who is pregnant with a baby girl, also “reflected on the impact of trailblazing women throughout history” and asked the group to share their female role models which “embolden them to challenge injustice”.

Some of the responses included American civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, as well as Kala Bagai, one of the first South Asian women to immigrate to the US in the early 20th century.

The post said: “Amid the pandemic, the duchess has been engaging with communities of girls and girl-serving organizations, taking an approach of listening to and learning directly from a new generation of leaders.

“All throughout the past year, she has convened conversations with women and girls, spoken with gender icons as well as new leaders, and partnered with key organizations advocating for a more equitable and just future.”

Some of the previous events Meghan has taken part in included a virtual mentoring session with a teenage girl from volunteer group LA Works and the charitable trust “I Have a Dream” Foundation during Women’s History Month.

On Black History Month, she spoke with diverse young poets from the organisation Get Lit – Words Ignite that was focused on creating change through the power of words.

The post said: “This work will continue as part of Archewell Foundation’s commitment to building compassionate communities that uplift women and girls, and serves as a reflection of the long-standing record of advocacy by the duchess, who has been standing up for equity since she was a young girl herself.”