In February this year, the Trust's Investment team conducted a survey that investigated Technical Assistance best practices for African women entrepreneurs. The survey targeted potential pipeline businesses to get inputs into the format and approach of a highly responsive and tailored post-investment technical assistance facility for the investment fund investee companies. The facility will enable
Reportedly, over half a billion children live in extremely high flood occurrence zones; nearly 160 million live in high or extremely high drought severity zones. While it is true that climate change will ultimately impact every child, these children are already in harmâs way and face some of the most immediate risks. There is a
To become better partners, banks are encouraged to design new ways to assess women entrepreneurs' full scale, including track record, entrepreneur profile, and how women in business manage to pay debts, overheads, and suppliers. On 8th March 2022, the Graça Machel Trusts' Women Economic and Social Advancement (WESA) Programme launched a Financial Inclusion Project Documentary
Breaking the Gender Bias in Finance  Financial inclusion is critical in breaking the poverty circle for women as it helps them access many forms of credit facilities, help them with saving money, accumulate assets. However, despite the progress being made to improve the status of financial inclusion for women, World Bank reports indicate that
In the face of rising unemployment in Africa, governments, the private and development sectors are putting in a lot of effort to boost entrepreneurship through capacity building. At the heart of these initiatives is women's entrepreneurship development. There is a good rationale for investing in women as they invest more in their families and communities.
 Photo: JĂşlio Dengucho / FORBES AFRICA LUSĂFONA.  "Every 8th of March, we recall and salute those who have so valiantly made possible the gains in our struggle for gender equality. We celebrate the incredible achievements of women around the globe and the victories we have attained to bring us closer to
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.