Graça Machel Trust (GMT) Founder, Mrs. Graça Machel has been nominated for this year’s Priyadarshini Academy’s Global Awards. Mrs. Machel has been honored with this prestigious award for her outstanding contribution to the Welfare of Women & Children. She is nominated alongside Mr. José Angel Gurría, the Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Mr Børge Brende, the President of World Economic Forum (WEF). Mr Gurría and Mr Brende have been nominated for outstanding contribution to Global Economic Co-operation and Economic Welfare and Sustainable Growth respectively.
The trio among other nominated personalities in their respective fields will be recognised at the Priyadarshni Academy’s 36th Anniversary Global Awards, a virtual event which will take place on September 19 from 13h30 pm to 15h00 SAT. The Priyadarshni Academy’s Global Awards were launched in the year 1987. The internationally recognised Global Awards honours eminent personalities in social, cultural and educational fields who have made a significant contribution in their respective fields.
Mrs Machel’s dedication to championing the rights of women and children has also seen her named as one of the most powerful Pan-African women by Forbes Africa (2020) and one of Avance Media’s 2020 list of 100 Most Influential African Women.
Congratulations Mrs. Graça Machel!
Please note that the event will be broadcast Live on YouTube at https://bit.ly/337o4aP.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s 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 Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ 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 Trust’s 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 mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.