Graça Machel is one of the world’s leading advocates for women’s and children’s rights. Born in Mozambique, Machel fought for the country’s independence before becoming Mozambique’s first Education Minister.
Machel is a founding member of The Elders, and a co-founder of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage. As a member of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Mrs Machel advocated for the inclusion of child marriage as a target in the sustainable development agenda. The framework, adopted in September 2015, includes target 5.3 to “end child, early and forced marriage” by 2030.
Machel is the Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, and Board Chair of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, and President of the Foundation for Community Development. As founder of the Graça Machel Trust, she has more recently focused on advocating for women’s economic and financial empowerment, education for all, an end to child marriage, food security and nutrition, and democracy and good governance.