In a world relentlessly pushing the boundaries of innovation and progress, we often overlook the fundamental principles that should underpin our technological advancements. Mrs GraƧa 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
Ā The GraƧa 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. Ā 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 GraƧa 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
Women's financial inclusion should include a collective effort to ensure all women have adequate access to appropriate financial products. "Women are significant contributors and drivers of economic growth through entrepreneurship and their involvement in the labour market. The GraƧa Machel Trust's Chief Executive Officer, Ms Melizsa Mugyenyi, underlined this point during the Southern Africa Regional
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
The GraƧa Machel Trust is delighted to announce that its Founder, Mrs GraƧa Machel is this year's Lifetime African Philanthropy 2022 Recipient. Mrs Machel was recognised during The African Philanthropy Conference on Wednesday, 3 August 2022, in Sandton, South Africa. Ā Mrs Machel was awarded this prestigious Award for her tremendous contribution and notable efforts
According to a UN Women Report on the impact of COVID-19, it not only had a profound shock on our societies and economies, but the pandemic also underscored societyās reliance on women, exposed structural inequalities across every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection. Additionally, it showed that when resources are strained
According to United Development Programme (UNDP), the COVID 19 pandemic exposed the risk of offshoring production of Africaās basic needs. From vaccines and PPE to wheat and oil, the real risk is the same: Africaās sustainability requires a new development approach that focuses on the Made in Africa Revolution. The African Continental Free Trade Area
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.