African Women and Girls Shaping the Policy Discourse of the COVID-19 pandemic response
  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) has launched the Ilizwi (the voice): African Women and Children shaping policy discourse of the COVID-19 pandemic response. The initiative is driven by a growing need to have context-specific responses in order to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic and to
Building Resilience: Womenâs Leadership in times of COVID19
The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown in many countries has highlighted the often undervalued but critical leadership role that women play in managing both their professional lives and home care work, particularly in times of crisis. While various conversations unfold and measures are put in place to contain the pandemic, the Graça
A look into NGOs programmatic work during COVID
 A conversation with Dr. Shungu Gwarinda: what NGO programmatic work will look like now. The Graça Machel Trustâs Interim CEO and Programmes Director shared some insights on what organisations that rely on donor funding can do to continue doing their programmatic work even with minimum funding during the COVID19 pandemic. This conversation took place
Need for access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
 As the world battles with containing the continued spread of Covid-19 by imposing lockdowns and social distancing, there is a great risk of a further reduction in access to sexual and reproductive health rights services in Africa. The lockdowns and restrictions in movement have resulted in increased reports of domestic violence and disruptions in
COVID 19 Webinar Series on Food Systems and agriculture the Eastern and Southern African region
Photo Credit: Annie Spratt  On 15th April 2020, the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) and its African Women in Agribusiness Network (AWAB) hosted a Webinar with The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) to address the effects of COVID-19 on food systems and agribusiness in the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) region. The Webinar attracted different
Ensuring an inclusive world for all children
 The Covid-19 pandemic has forced millions of children across the world out of the normal school environment as countries try to implement measures to curb the transmission of the novel virus.  More than 160 countries across the world have to date implemented some form of school closure. If not properly handled these closures
Amplifying civil society voices on improved food security, nutrition and climate resilience
 Prior to Covid 19 pandemic, the Trusts' Nutrition Programme team attended an African Union Summit on the CAAP 2nd Biennial Review Report which took place on 8th February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the theme Silencing the Guns â creating conducive conditions for Africaâs development. This theme highlighted on Accelerating Implementation of Agriculture, Climate and
Celebrating World Press Freedom Day – journalists are the unsung heroes
The COVID 19 pandemic has presented humanity with an array of challenges. The media has been overwhelmed in many aspects among them, on the type of  information that needs to be fed to the public. Each passing day, a different story is told. At first, the focus was on the statistics of new cases, deaths,
Fostering impactful value chains
 The National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) describes Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) as catalytic economic mechanisms for sustainable development and economic growth. However, this narrative has been drastically disrupted in the past weeks with the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic presents a dual challenge of both economic growth as well as
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.