graca_machel

Global advocate for children's rights and African social reform

Graca Machel (born 17 October 1945) is a Mozambican-South African activist renowned for her work in education, women's rights, and child welfare. As the first Education Minister of Mozambique (1975–1979), she implemented policies to increase literacy rates from 10% to 40% within five years. Her partnership with Nelson Mandela in the 1990s led to the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, addressing child poverty and AIDS orphans in Africa.

Machel co-authored the groundbreaking UN General Assembly's World Report on Violence Against Children (2006), which influenced global child protection policies. She chairs the Graca Machel Trust, focusing on education access for girls and HIV/AIDS awareness. Her advocacy includes the Council on Foreign Relations's initiatives on post-conflict reconstruction.

As the widow of both Mozambican president Samora Machel and South Africa's Nelson Mandela, she used her platform to promote reconciliation and gender equality. Her memoir 《Reflections》 details her life's work. Machel's honors include the UN Human Rights Prize (1997) and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Award for Women's Empowerment (2015).