Championing women in agribusiness at Datagrow conference
Mama Graça Machel addressed hundreds of agricultural professionals during the Brazil Datagrow Agribusiness Conference which took place in July 2024 – Sao Paulo, Brazil. She spoke about the crucial role of women in agribusiness, “We must tap into the untapped potential of women and youth as drivers of climate resilience. Women are often at the forefront of adopting sustainable agricultural practices, crucial for climate-smart responses to climate change.” Read the full speech here.
Women leaders advocate for clean cooking at climate summit
Photo: Panellists speaking during the ‘Making Clean Cooking an African Policy Priority’ discussion (from left to right) – Sheila Oparaocha, Director of Energia Network; Stephanie Mbombo, Presidential Special Envoy for New Climate Economy, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ehouman Narcisse Kalifa, Director General for Energy at the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Côte d’Ivoire; Graça Machel, Founder and Chair of the Board of the Graça Machel Trust; Carla Montesi, Director for Green Deal and Digital Agenda at the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships; Stanlake Samkange, Assistant Executive Director at the World Food Programme; and Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.
Graça Machel discusses peace and human dignity at Vatican meeting
Mama Graça Machel participated in the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican alongside human rights activists and Nobel Laureates. They discussed initiatives to strengthen global solidarity and peace during their audience with Pope Francis. Mama Machel highlighted women’s and children’s challenges, emphasising, “Let us embrace our common humanity and ensure a peaceful world for future generations.” The meeting, organised by the Vatican’s Fratelli Tutti Foundation from the 10th to 11th May 2024, Vatican City, Rome. Read Pope Francis’ full address here.
Graça Machel joins Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates, and Amal Clooney to advocate for ending child marriage and advancing adolescent girls
In November 2023, Mama Graça Machel joined Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates, and Amal Clooney in Cape Town, South Africa to address the pressing issues of child marriage and the advancement of adolescent girls in Africa. At the gathering, Michelle Obama highlighted the transformative power of education in ending child marriage. Melinda French Gates advocated for comprehensive strategies focusing on investing in women and girls, stressing the importance of an inclusive approach. Amal Clooney called for global legal cooperation to enforce measures against child marriage.
As a global champion of Girls not Brides, Mama Graça Machel discussed the broader social and economic impacts of gender inequity, urging a collective commitment to recognise and support the potential of young girls. She said, “A girl is a full human being with dreams and the right to make life choices. To address child marriage, we must see girls as individuals, not as commodities.” Read the press release 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.