Whether you’re a Hillary Clinton fan or not, it’s hard not to admire her resilience and drive. This is a woman who has taken on more than most: from her beginnings as a lawyer and social justice advocate, to her reinvention of the role of first lady and her determination to fight through two intensely gruelling presidential campaigns. Even her decision to stay with husband Bill after his very public infidelity can be viewed through the lens of Clinton’s resolve to stick with what she believes in.

And in her first public appearance since losing to Donald Trump in the US presidential election, Clinton has reiterated her belief that we should “never give up” – while also admitting that “there have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again”.

Clinton was speaking at the Children’s Defense Fund ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Wearing a purple suit that echoed her much-commented upon concession speech outfit, she told the audience: “Coming here tonight wasn’t the easiest thing for me to do.”

She added that while the election results had disappointed her “more than I could ever express”, her presidential campaign was about more than just her.

“I know this isn’t easy,” she said. “I know that over the past week people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was.”

Read more: “Dear Madam President”: a letter to the woman who should have been leader of the United States

“The divisions laid bare by this election run deep,” Clinton continued. “But please, listen to me when I say this: America is worth it.

“Our children are worth it. Believe in our country, fight for our values, and never, ever give up.”

Clinton is currently estimated to have won the popular vote in the US election by roughly one million voters, with a victory margin that is rapidly expanding as more ballots are counted and reviewed, the Nation reports.

Trump’s accession to the White House was secured by his winning of the Electoral College votes – a system which he criticised as “a disaster for democracy” in 2012 after the re-election of Barack Obama.

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