Meghan Markle supports groundbreaking research about mothers in the media

Meghan Markle combined her previous role along with her current one, in support of a recent study examining the image of mothers in the entertainment and media industry.

According to PeopleThe former “Suits” actress and Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation funded a groundbreaking study, “Rewriting Motherhood: How TV Represents Moms and What We Want to See Next,” in partnership with the nonprofit organization First we have now and Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

“My past experiences as an actress and today’s experiences as a producer and mother have reinforced my belief in the importance of supporting women both behind and in front of the lens,” Markle said in an announcement. “This report on the role of mothers in entertainment highlights the gaps we need to fill to achieve true representation in the content we create and consume, and I am honored to support this work through the Archewell Foundation.”

According to the study, mothers appearing on television tended to be white, young and thin, which didn’t accurately reflect the demographic makeup of mothers in America. Only 1.8% of mothers were chubby, 6.2% were queer, and there was no representation of mothers with disabilities.

In TV shows, the father was the predominant breadwinner 90% of the time – one other example of how fictional households don’t correspond to real statistics.

The mothers were also strikingly beautiful, had immaculate homes, and mostly neglected their child-rearing responsibilities.

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“The portrayal of motherhood felt like a throwback,” Davis told Vanity Fair, as reported by People. “It didn’t reflect contemporary reality as closely as I had hoped or imagined.”

The report shows that the Geena Davis Institute, entertainment industry experts, and Moms First, which specializes in giving parents the help they should succeed, are desirous to help entertainment industry leaders in their efforts to more accurately portray motherhood on television .

The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry have two children: 4-year-old son Archie and 2-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet.

“We love having her support and Archewell’s support,” Davis added of the duchess. “We can’t do this without this kind of financial support, and it’s obviously a topic very close to her heart.”