CAPE TOWN, 3 September 2019  The Elders today expressed their support for the National Health Insurance (NHI) reforms proposed by South Africaâs President Cyril Ramaphosa, and urged all stakeholders to act with ambition and urgency to improve publicly-funded healthcare and build social solidarity.  Graça Machel, Deputy Chair of The Elders, Gro Harlem Brundtland,
Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) partner to bolster women entrepreneurs in East Africa 2X Challenge Members inaugurate competition to empower women entrepreneurs in East Africa  Nairobi, Kenya â July11, 2019 â Leading development finance institutions(DFIs) including FinDevCanada, Commonwealth Development Corporation Group (CDC) of the United Kingdom, Proparco of France and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
 Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They [all humans] are endowed with reason and conscience and should act in a spirit of brotherhood. The Graça Machel Trust, through an approach of Pan African collective
  Today we celebrate Human Rights Day. We thank the many great women whose conviction and courage drove them to voice and act against gender injustices with the belief womenâs rights is indeed, a Human Right. They worked hard to change laws, attitudes and behaviours in order to achieve the freedoms most women enjoy
7 March, 2019 International Womenâs Day has become a worldwide rallying point to support the progression of women and girlsâ rights across the world. This year International Womenâs Day focuses on âBetter the balance, better the worldâ and offers an opportunity to reflect on the role women play in agriculture and identify what can be
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.