Out of 75% of girls who start school in Africa, only 8% complete their studies. At any one time, around 28 million girls are out of school in Sub-Saharan Africa. Such limited educational opportunities keep girls from securing safe, reliable and rewarding forms of employment, thereby perpetuating chronic poverty across generations. In addition, adolescent girls who experience early and forced marriage, are subjected to gender-based violence, abuse and other social ills.
This year, the Graça Machel Trust will catalyze the unleashing of adolescents’ strength so they can exercise full agency over their lives. This indigenous African movement, led and designed mainly by adolescent girls, will address the societal barriers that impede their holistic development. These adolescent girls, grounded in their African identity and mindful of their inherent capabilities and dignity, will be the drivers of Africa’s social transformation. The Adolescent Girls Movement aims at nurturing adolescent girls between the ages of 15 to 17 years by equipping them with skills, confidence and the agency to affirm their rights and dignity.
“The aim of this campaign is to work with adolescent girls to have them reimagine a better world that is inspired by their own hopes and ambitions.” Mrs Graça Machel.
Watch Graça Machel Call to Action Video
Graça Machel Adolescent Girl’s Movement Call to Action video.
HOW TO JOIN THE VLOG CHALLENGE
The Graça Machel Trust Vlog Challenge invites young adolescent girls aged 15 – 19 to facilitate a Focus Group Discussion with their peers.
Submit a Vlog 2 Minutes long video clip of yourself virtual or in a COVID-19 compliant venue while observing all protocols.
The short video clip should address the following questions. Please follow the set script below;
Hi, my name is ____ (insert name and surname) ___ I am ___ (insert your age) __ and from __ (this country) __ proceed to answer questions listed below;
- How did COVID – 19 interrupt or changed your life?
- How did you adapt to these interruptions or changes?
- What Opportunities, if any, exist for you as an adolescent girl?
- If you could envision a world post COVID – 19, how would it look like?
Vlogs to be submitted to info@gracamacheltrust.org
To sign the consent minor form 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.