{"id":11225,"date":"2021-02-24T09:23:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T09:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracamacheltrust.org\/?p=4230"},"modified":"2021-02-24T09:23:57","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T09:23:57","slug":"adolescents-are-valuable-drivers-of-social-transformation-and-economic-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/uncategorized\/adolescents-are-valuable-drivers-of-social-transformation-and-economic-development\/","title":{"rendered":"The Africa we want. Messages from the voices of adolescent girls."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One in every four adolescent girls in the world lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. If well nurtured, they will be integral in Africa&#8217;s social transformation and economic development. In the last few months, Mrs. Gra\u00e7a Machel has focused on developing a movement focused on nurturing African adolescent girls&#8217; innate power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2306\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2306\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-2306 size-400\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27400%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20400%20300%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27400%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/School-kids-2-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo credit: Annie-Spratt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The movement began with two separate webinars, both driven by adolescent girls from across the African continent. The first\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/334179846739983\/videos\/685998432020857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">webinar<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, a collaboration between The Trust&#8217;s Child Rights Programme and The Amazon Leadership (ALI) Initiative, commemorated the 2020 International Day of the Girl Child through an Intergenerational dialogue which with girls&#8217; representatives from five regions in Africa (Central, West, North, East, and Southern Africa). The panel shared their concerns and challenges to inform and influence girls&#8217; advocacy agenda within the African continent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-4237 size-400\" src=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--400x314.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--400x314.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27400%27%20height%3D%27314%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20400%20314%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27400%27%20height%3D%27314%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--200x157.png 200w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--300x235.png 300w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--400x314.png 400w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue--500x392.png 500w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Inter-generational-dialogue-.png 572w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Recommendations from the girls, which will inform GMT&#8217;s advocacy agenda for girls in 2021, included:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Governments need to place Girl&#8217;s education as an urgent strategic development priority. This will no doubt lead to healthier and more empowered women who positively contribute towards the economy;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Begin community dialogues on the importance of dismantling racial systems which prevent girls in the Diaspora from enjoying the same benefits as other girls.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Women and girls must challenge our patriarchal societies and demand recognition as equal citizens. #SheIsEqual.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Recommendation on the establishment of a Pan-African Girls Movement Reference Group led by women and girls. The movement aims to create a platform where women and girls between the ages of 10 \u2013 18 years can spotlight their real-lived realities on the African Continent.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIt is powerful when we find our voices as girls and we step into our power and we change the narrative, discriminatory laws and culture. With that power we can enforce protection for girls\u2019 dignity. We should focus on turning our powerful voices into political and social change and to continue to build our movement. That movement should be two things, Pan-African and inter-generational to move forward to a future that is equal,\u201d said Aya Chebbi, one of the young women on the panel and a Pan-African activist, Tunisian diplomat and feminist.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The second\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/live\/?v=3526902677386772&amp;ref=watch_permalink&amp;t=10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">webinar<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0titled the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust Adolescent Girls African Listening Series focused on real-time stories from adolescent girls on how the pandemic affected them and a call to action for stakeholders doing work on empowering the girl child in Africa. Among the issues that came up was the added caregiver burden, being out of school, feeling disconnected from friends and family, struggling with the inequities caused by the digital divide, and physical abuse and mental health challenges.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3924\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3924\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-3924 size-200\" src=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-200x300.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27200%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20200%20300%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27200%27%20height%3D%27300%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-400x601.jpg 400w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-500x751.jpg 500w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-600x901.jpg 600w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-700x1051.jpg 700w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy-768x1153.jpg 768w, https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Mrs-Machel-copy.jpg 799w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3924\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>GMT Founder Mrs Gra\u00e7a Machel.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;We recognize the inherent vibrancy, creativity, and energy adolescents possess. We aim to catalyze the unleashing of this strength so adolescents can exercise full agency over their lives, challenge and break through the social norms that constrict them and in doing so, grow into a new generation of women,&#8221; said Mrs. Machel in a recent event. The adolescent girls&#8217; movement will continue to address the societal barriers that impede adolescents&#8217; holistic socio-economic development and transform society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One in every four adolescent girls in the world lives  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[684,688,689,690],"class_list":["post-11225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-economic-and-social-impact","tag-intergenerational-dialogue","tag-mrs-machel","tag-the-amazon-leadership-ali"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}