About Us

Graça Machel is one of the world’s leading advocates for women’s and children’s rights and has been a social justice and political activist for many decades. She established the Graça Machel Trust in 2010 as a Pan-African advocacy organisation focused on child health and nutrition, education, women’s economic and financial empowerment, leadership and good governance. Over the last nine years, the Trust has worked to “Multiply the Faces and Amplify the Voices” of African women and children. Through our collaboration with partners, at all levels, we have helped promote and strengthen women and children’s networks to drive social and economic change. The Graça Machel Trust acts as a catalyst, working across the continent to advocate for the protection of children’s rights and dignity, and amplify women’s movements by harnessing and promoting their contributions to the economic, social and political development of Africa. We work with global, regional and local partners who are passionate about creating profound change in the issues that we focus on. Through our advocacy efforts we seek to influence decision-makers to the change policies and practices needed to create societies that value social justice, and promote and protect the rights of women and children.

Nurture caring societies that value social justice, promote and protect the rights of women and children.

Amplify women’s movements, influence governance and promote women’s contributions and leadership in the economic, social and political development of Africa; and advocate for the protection of children’s rights and dignity.

Values

Integrity

We demonstrate the highest levels of personal and organisational integrity in all areas of our work. We remain permanently guided by the principle of good conduct, responsible behaviour and high integrity in our interactions with partners and collaborators.

Courage

We exercise disciplined risks in our resolve to bring positive change in the lives of women and children across the region and globally. We are prepared to take calculated risks, stand by the decisions we make, challenge ourselves to think outside the box, and deliver innovative programmes.

Excellence

We set ourselves ambitious goals and targets, and consistently strive to deliver excellence in our work. Our ambition is driven by a desire to deliver measurable, high-impact results for women and children, and to ensure value for money for our donors and supporters.

Accountability

We value accountability in all that we do. We are accountable to those we serve as well as those who support our work and give us resources, including our funding partners, friends, and collaborators.

Our Approach

The Trust focuses on early childhood development, nutrition, education, ending child marriage and the economic advancement of women. We establish and support existing networks working in women’s and children’s rights across the continent. Through our work in country we seek to forge national movements, where priorities and the requisite strategies can be identified and tackled to remove structural obstacles.

We connect regional and continental networks to create a groundswell of action-oriented and outcomes-driven results, aimed at transforming African economies and institutions. This approach allows women to take centre stage, creates shifts in mindsets and forges a path to advance social and economic transformation