446th Dies Natalis of Leiden University.
Graça Machel Trust Founder, Mrs Graça Machel was conferred the title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands on February 8, 2021. In a special ceremony, which marked the 446th anniversary of the university, Mrs. Machel was made an honorary doctor in recognition of her commitment to the rights of women and children in Africa and elsewhere.
Image of the Doctorate conferred to Dr. Machel by Leiden University.
Accepting the distinction, Mrs Machel said in part, “I challenge you today to dedicate your expertise and all the resources at your disposal to mounting a response equal to the magnitude of our task. To produce research and propose strategies of new systems and ways of being that will enable us to heal individually and collectively, and repair our brokenness. And as you do so, I encourage you to meaningfully put women and children at the heart of your scholarship.”
At the end of her speech, in a surprise, Prof. dr. Joanne van der Leun, Dean at Leiden Law School, Leiden University presented her with yet another award; The Graça Machel Scholarship and Fellowship.
The grant given on a need-based system was set up in honour of Mrs Machel’s honorary doctorate. It will be offered to two female research fellows from South Africa to study at Leiden University and The Hague for a year. “The scheme has been available by the board of the Nelson Mandela study fund. If you allow us, we would very much like this grant to carry your name. The Graça Machel Scholarship and Fellowship” said Prof. dr Leun.
Mrs Machel on learning about the Grant in her name to be offered at Leiden University.
Mrs. Machel was nominated by the board of Leiden Law School, on the initiative of professors of child rights Ton Liefaard and Julia Sloth-Nielsen. In a post from the university’s website Ton Liefaard explains: “In her eventful life and impressive career Graça Machel has been a steadfast champion for the rights of women and children in Africa and beyond. This was in many different roles.”
For details of the full event, click here.
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.