In 2016 the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Childrenās Fund (UNICEF) launched a global programme to fight against child marriage in 12 of the most prevalent countries. These include; Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The East and Southern Africa regions are among
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
This year, the GraƧa Machel Trust (GMT) convened a high-level Expert Group of African Women Leaders (ELG) in the finance sector as a group of strong actors to drive systemic action to advance women's active participation in digital economy. The expert leaders have been hard at work addressing structural barriers to gender equality faced by
The GraƧa Machel Trust (GMT) partnered with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) on aĀ webinarĀ on accountability for Southern African civil society organizations (CSOs). The convening rallied CSOs from eight Southern African countries on 28 April 2021, discussing accountability and good governance in projects funded by multilateral development banks. Ā Photo Credit:
April 29, 2021: The GraƧa Machel Trust's New Faces New Voices (NFNV) Zimbabwe Chapter convened a virtual roundtable under the theme Impacts of COVID-19 on women-led businesses and their financial inclusion. The meeting's main objectives were to share experiences of women-led businesses given the emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic and engage stakeholders on the impacts
The business environment, especially in South Africa, was already in a precarious position before the pandemic hit us unprecedently. With a 0.2% economic growth in 2019, businesses from JSE to the streets of Soweto would have to buckle up to survive. COVID19 required extraordinary efforts from businesses. This has been to the benefit of some
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenās 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 Childrenās Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsā 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 Trustās 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 motherās health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childās life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.