Rwandaâs first female Central Bank Governor shows why inclusive finance must be intentional    In April 2025, Rwanda appointed Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwandaâthe first woman to hold this position in the countryâs history. Her appointment made headlines in most parts of Africa, not just for its symbolic value
On 9 May 2025, the Graça Machel Trust officially launched the South African chapter of New Faces, New Voices (NFNV) in Johannesburg. It marks a powerful new phase in the continental movement to reshape financial systems with and for women. Anchored by the Africa Women Financial Inclusion Initiative (AWFII), the chapter will champion systemic change
Africa is at a critical moment in philanthropy. With traditional funding streams from the Global North shrinking, the continent must innovate and rethink its social justice and investment approaches. Recently, Mrs Graça Machel, global advocate, philanthropist, and founder of the Graça Machel Trust, spoke powerfully during a lecture hosted by the Centre on African Philanthropy
Women in agribusiness across Africa continue to face entrenched systemic barriers. Although they make up over 60% of the continentâs agricultural workforce, women receive less than 10% of available credit and control less than 20% of agricultural land (FAO, 2011). These figures highlight a persistent gap in access to resources, opportunities, and support. Â Â
Women play a critical role in agricultural production, significantly contributing to food security, rural development, and community resilience. Despite this, they remain largely excluded from agribusiness opportunities and formal markets due to structural inequalities, limited market information, and deep-rooted gender biases. The Graça Machel Trust facilitates inclusive and sustainable trade by enabling women agri-preneurs to
In many parts of Africa, adolescent girls still face significant barriersâlimited access to health services, inadequate education, and social stigma. These challenges donât just hinder their personal growth â they can silence potential leaders and changemakers. But what if, instead of being held back, these girls were equipped and supported to lead? Thatâs the goal
Afrishela and Chanzo Capital woo Angel investors to support early growth stage businesses  Photo: Entrepreneurs proudly presenting their innovative products at the Angel Fair  Across Africa angel investors are becoming powerful catalysts for entrepreneurship. Yet, according to a World Bank report (2019), less than 10% of early-stage businesses receive funding from
In celebration of Womenâs Month 2025, we spotlight remarkable African women leaders from the Graça Machel Trustâs Expert Leaders Group (ELG). Among these trailblazers is Ms. Elsie Addo Awadzi, a leader whose 30-year career has been largely devoted to transforming financial systems and economies into more stable, resilient, and inclusive spaces.  A career defined
The Graça Machel Trustâs Pan-African Adolescent Girlsâ Movement recently introduced a community outreach initiativeâthe Innovation Challengeâthat enabled girls to identify key issues in their communities and design creative solutions with real impact. By collaborating with Womandla Foundation Trust and Errymaple High School in Zimbabwe, Future Lift Foundation and Break-through Centre in South Africa, and the Foundation for Adolescent Girls and Young People Zambia (FAPEZA) in Zambia,
Did you know that over 70% of informal cross-border traders in West Africa are women, yet many lack access to the digital tools needed to grow and scale their businesses? To address this pressing challenge, the Graça Machel Trust, in collaboration with Network for Women's Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), New Faces New Voices Nigeria, and
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.