Graça Machel

Graça Machel is one of the world’s leading advocates for women’s and children’s rights and has been a social justice and political activist for many decades. She is the widow of the former South African president Nelson Mandela.
She established the Graça Machel Trust in 2010 as a Pan-African advocacy organisation focused on child health and nutrition, education, women’s economic and financial empowerment, leadership and good governance.

Over the last five years the Trust has worked to “Multiply the Faces and Amplify the Voices” of African women and children. Through our collaboration with partners, at all levels, we have helped promote and strengthen women and children’s networks to drive social and economic change.

The Graça Machel Trust acts as a catalyst, working across the continent to advocate for the protection of children’s rights and dignity, and amplify women’s movements by harnessing and promoting their contributions to the economic, social and political development of Africa.

We work with global, regional and local partners who are passionate about creating profound change in the issues that we focus on. Through our advocacy efforts we seek to influence decision-makers to the change policies and practices needed to create societies that value social justice, and promote and protect the rights of women and children.