The Graça Machel Trust team recently visited Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa, to host a two-day capacity-building workshop for women-owned small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The workshop provided the space for an enhanced understanding of land ownership and essential skills in financial literacy and business planning.   Women engaging during the dialogue
 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
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 16 NOVEMBER 2023 â Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, global philanthropist Melinda French Gates, and leading human rights lawyer Amal Clooney convened influential leaders and experts, including former First Lady of South Africa and Mozambique Graça Machel, for a discussion on ending child marriage to help further
Credit: GMT/Domtila Chesang  Education is a fundamental and widely recognised human right, yet UNESCO estimates that over 60 million children are missing out on primary education. Behind these staggering numbers lie the untold stories of children whose potential remains untapped, dreams left unfulfilled, and futures clouded by inequality. It is within this context of
Despite the consensus that education is a human right and agreement on the role it plays in human and social development, the issue of out-of-school children and children at risk of dropping out is still a critical one. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), the number of out-of-school children in Africa grew by
The #FinEquity2023 Annual Meeting convened on February 2023 for its first meeting this tea. It was themed, UsingâŻOne Tool to Serve Two Priorities Financial inclusion for women's Empowerment and Climate Transition.âŻThe meeting brought together the community to talk about why and how a relentless focus on women is needed in times of increasing climatic stressâwomen
The Adolescent Movement, an initiative of the Graça Machel Trust, is impacting the advocacy agenda for African young girls. With a focus on sexual reproductive health, leadership, mentoring and confidence development, the Movement is bringing together generations to bridge the gap. In February 2023, the Movement hosted its SHE SPEAKS Meeting, a hybrid event to
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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.