 On March 19, 2024, the Graça Machel Trust's Adolescent Girls Movement Programme hosted its 3rd annual Pan African Adolescent Girls Jubilee. The hybrid event provided a significant dialogue and connected over 250  high-spirited adolescent girls and young women aged 10 to 20 in five African countries to address some of the most pressing issues
   The Afrishela and Women Creating Wealth Programme's investor showcase, held as a side event of the esteemed Sankalp Forum that happened between the 28th and 29th of February 2024 in Nairobi, was marked as a resounding success, amplifying the voices of female entrepreneurs and forging meaningful connections with investors.  Â
 The Graça Machel Trust hosted a compelling side event during the first  Africa Climate Summit (ACS), held in Nairobi Kenya on 5th September 2023. The session recognised women as key players in adopting sustainable practices essential for meaningful change. We learned that integrating gender-responsive strategies in climate policies will enable women to play an
Leiden University (Netherlands) formally recognised Mrs Graça Machel's unwavering commitment to women's and children's rights in Africa and beyond with an Honorary Doctorate on October 27, 2023. Mrs Machel was able to accept the prestigious honour in person after the announcement was made in 2021. She delivered a public lecture discussing intergenerational justice, human rights,
Recently, the Graça Machel Trust networks, the women's business community, government ministries, sector leaders and women associations convened to create and launch a Community of Practice (CoP) in Kampala, Uganda. The goal of the CoP is to help women in business and the rest of the stakeholders connect, learn, grow together and respond to challenges
In a world relentlessly pushing the boundaries of innovation and progress, we often overlook the fundamental principles that should underpin our technological advancements. Mrs Graça Machel's illuminating address at the Rio Innovation Week on October 6, 2023, served as a poignant reminder of these essential aspects. Drawing from her remarkable experiences as a human rights
 The Graça Machel Trust (GMT) convened the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Convening to discuss the importance of digital finance in promoting women's financial inclusion.  The event, held virtually on September 14, 2023, under the theme Digital Finance: A Panacea for Women's Financial Inclusion, brought together thought leaders, experts, policymakers, and practitioners
Women's financial inclusion has long been a critical driver of untapped economic growth. Bridging the funding gap for women-owned businesses in Africa and advocating for policy changes in financial inclusion is at the heart of the Graça Machel Trust's mission. Through our New Faces New Voices (NFNV) Network, we empower women in the financial sector,
Imagine living where over 640 million people, including children, cannot access electricity. Unfortunately, this is a harsh reality for many Africans. Shockingly, the electricity access rate for African countries is just over 40 percent, the lowest in the world. The use of fuel wood for cooking has also had a devastating impact on the health
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.