Leiden University (Netherlands) formally recognised Mrs Graça Machel’s unwavering commitment to women’s and children’s rights in Africa and beyond with an Honorary Doctorate on October 27, 2023. Mrs Machel was able to accept the prestigious honour in person after the announcement was made in 2021. She delivered a public lecture discussing intergenerational justice, human rights, and the pressing challenges facing Africa.
While this was a celebration of work done, Mrs Machel pointed out the continuing injustices that women and children still face today.
“We know, today, that human dignity is being trampled upon in various parts of the world, among others, in Palestine, in Sudan, in Ukraine and in Myanmar—to name but a few. The situation of children is even more serious, as children, with crises, are the ones who suffer most from the rapid degradation of the protection of their rights.”
Mrs Machel stressed the need to equip African youth from a young age with the knowledge and tools for climate action, supported by those already in influential positions to lead to a sustainable future. She also called for young voices to sit at decision-making tables, recognising their vital role in responding to climate change.
Her championing of change and fighting for inclusion was brought to life by the attendance of beneficiaries of her scholarship programme who studied in Netherlands. Having once been a scholarship beneficiary herself during her tertiary education, she viewed the Graça Machel Trust scholarship programme as a way of ‘paying it forward.’ The programme ran from 2008 to 2017 and provided opportunities for 100 young women to complete post-graduate studies in various fields.
She was delighted to meet former recipients of scholarships, Lerato Thakholi and Tlholo Lehlekiso who attended the public lecture at Leiden University.
Mrs Graça Machel with Lerato Thakholi in Netherlands, 27 Oct 2023
Lerato received her scholarship in 2015, which enabled her to pursue her MSc in Environmental and Geographical Sciences at the University of Cape Town. She expressed her gratitude for the scholarship, which she described as a critical milestone and a springboard that enabled her to obtain and complete her PhD studies. This scholarship not only facilitated academic collaboration but also set a solid foundation for her successful career.
Tlholo’s scholarship helped her to complete her Master’s degree in International Children’s Rights at Leiden University Law School, enabling her to bring her passion for women and children’s rights, focusing particularly on the impact of climate change and the right to global health in Africa, to life. She is currently pursuing a PhD that will look at antimicrobial resistance as a silent pandemic from a child rights perspective with a particular focus on Africa.
Graça Machel with Tlholo Lehlekisoin Netherlands, 27 Oct 2023
The meeting between Lerato, Tlholo and Mrs Machel was testimony to the need to keep supporting African talent in different spaces so that they have the knowledge and skills to represent the voices and issues of the continent in global agendas.
*Keep an eye on our social media platforms as we’ll be profiling Lerato Thakholi and Tlholo Lehlekiso
Read the full speech from the Leiden University Public Lecture 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.