The past two years have shown us that challenges in the financial inclusion gender gap exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic need to be closed for women to have equal access to finance as men. The World Bank reports indicate that COVID-19's economic repercussions disproportionately affect women. Women-led businesses have experienced more of a decline in
Africa is facing a crisis in education, but this is fundamentally a broader crisis in the condition of children. Over 97 million children in Africa are out of school; 52 million are girls. As the world emerges from the effects of COVID -19, these barriers have been compounded, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of African
âWe should be respectful, but we must also have the courage to stop harmful practices that impoverish girls, women and their communitiesâ - Graça Machel, Founder - The Graça Machel Trust   The Day of the African Child (DAC) is celebrated annually on June 16. It was first initiated by the Organisation of African
Photo: Graça Machel Trust Archive  The 7th African Day of School Feeding is celebrated on 01 March 2022 to ensure that the COVID pandemic does not reverse the gains made in 2019, which saw 65.4million children receiving school meals on the African Continent. An unprecedented increase of 71% compared to 2013 was
Scaling up accelerating learning models for out-of-school children According to UNESCO, over 97 million children in Africa are out of school, and 52 million are girls, and this number continues to grow with the rising demand for education. Still, these millions of children face an uncertain future as their economic and social prospects become daunting2. In addition, Africa is
To become better partners, banks are encouraged to design new ways to assess women entrepreneurs' full scale, including track record, entrepreneur profile, and how women in business manage to pay debts, overheads, and suppliers. On 8th March 2022, the Graça Machel Trusts' Women Economic and Social Advancement (WESA) Programme launched a Financial Inclusion Project Documentary
Breaking the Gender Bias in Finance  Financial inclusion is critical in breaking the poverty circle for women as it helps them access many forms of credit facilities, help them with saving money, accumulate assets. However, despite the progress being made to improve the status of financial inclusion for women, World Bank reports indicate that
On 24th November 2021, the Graça Machel Trust was part of the African Development Bank Regional Civil Society Forum, which aimed to enhance stakeholder engagement at the regional level. It was stated by the Bank that each region has determined its most relevant theme, which highlights existing challenges and opportunities to enhance Civil Society engagement
The Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G), which took place in Japan from 7th to 8th December 2021, was a reset opportunity and a great reminder that we only have nine years left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This summit mobilised ambitious and wide-reaching multi-stakeholders who committed to transforming food and
In 2020, the Graça Machel Trusts' Women's Economic and Social Advancement (WESA) programme conducted a financial inclusion best Practice study,  documenting the experiences of 60 women in the financial sector from South Africa and Zambia. The data published from this study reveals that women still need additional investor strategies to strengthen their business acumen related
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.