The Graça Machel Trust was established in 2010 as a Pan-African advocacy organisation that tackles structural barriers to change the way public and private institutions address women and childrenâs rights. The Trustâs work is underpinned by the conviction that the development of the African continent hinges on I) the sustained and equitable participation of women
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.
In the December of 2016, the Graça Machel Trust birthed its first 100 high growth entrepreneur graduates in the Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. This number scaled to 300 in 2018 and as of 2021 we now have 430 graduates and alumni. This Pan-African initiative has significantly grown businesses and positively
 Personal Mastery and Leadership is considered a critical anchor in building resilience towards all worthwhile transformational journeys.  In realising the benefits of this for entrepreneurs, at the beginning of March this year, 32-South African women in agribusiness embarked on their first cycle of the Women Creating Wealth (WCW) 16-Week Blended Learning digitised programme starting
The struggle for gender equality is more perplexing than most forms of oppression struggles in that women and men are relatives and as such one cannot exist without the other. Notwithstanding in conflict situations, we can get so consumed by our vested interests that we sometimes forget what it is for. So, what is gender
 Our Women's Economic and Social Advancement Programme welcomed new additions to their team, Nthateng Mhlambiso and Tamara Ncala who will continue the good work that the programme is already doing in supporting and building strong networks of women in their efforts to drive, influence and shape socio-economic policies in the region. We asked our WESA
Recognising women as business leaders in Tanzania    The Graça Machel Trust Interim CEO Shungu was invited to be a guest speaker at the launch of CEOâs Forum in Tanzania hosted by our very own New Faces New Voices (NFNV), Emma Kawawa, the founding director of this exciting initiative which aims to increase
"If we are here in solidarity, with this beauty of unity, in our pain, we have to pledge to do something" -Graça Machel at Uyinene Mrwetyana's memorial service in Cape Town  September has been a very heavy month for the Trust, South Africa, and the rest of Africa. South Africa made headlines, for
 "The empowerment of women is not only a developmental issue, it is very much an economic issue. Those institutions that recognise the changes that are happening globally and take steps to make certain that they are participating in the next emerging market, will more fully reap the economic benefits of their investment." â Graça
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.