African stateswoman Dame Graça Machel is set to visit Barbados for six days, culminating in a keynote address on the United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
The widow of two former African presidents, Mozambique’s Samora Machel and Nelson Mandela of South Africa, will arrive on Wednesday for a visit coinciding with the Season of Emancipation. Her programme includes meetings with Prime Minister Mia Mottley and other government officials, a government statement said.
The highlight of Machel’s visit will be a public discussion entitled Dame Graça Machel in Her Own Words: Reflections on the Road to Freedom, scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m., at Frank Collymore Hall.
During her stay, the former First Lady of Mozambique will tour several sites of cultural and historical significance, including Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, the Emancipation Statue, Rock Hall Freedom Village, and Golden Square Freedom Park. She will also be introduced to ‘The Story of Sugar and Rum’, offering insights into Barbados’ colonial past.
Machel’s itinerary includes a visit to the Barbados Museum and participation in Barbados/Africa Connections, where she will meet with South African expatriates living here.
A dedicated advocate for women’s rights and children’s welfare, Machel has worked to improve the lives of women and children across Africa. Her humanitarian efforts were recognised in 2018 when she received the World Health Organisation’s highest honour, the WHO Gold Medal, for her contributions to the health and well-being of women, children, and adolescents.
Machel, 78, grew up in a rural family in colonial Mozambique, where she excelled academically and later attended the University of Lisbon. She joined the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) in the early 1970s, becoming a key figure in the fight for independence from Portuguese rule. After independence in 1975, she was appointed the country’s first minister of education and culture, where she played a pivotal role in increasing school enrollment from 40 per cent to over 90 per cent for boys and 75 per cent for girls during her tenure.
Machel is the only woman to have served as First Lady of two countries, Mozambique and South Africa. Her first marriage to Samora Machel, Mozambique’s first president ended with his death in 1986 when his presidential aircraft crashed near the Mozambican-South African border. She married her second husband, Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first post-apartheid president, on July 18, 1998 — Mandela’s 80th birthday.
Beyond her roles as First Lady, has been recognised for his humanitarian efforts, particularly focusing on the impact of armed conflict on children. She was made an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
Her 1996 UN report, The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, highlighted the plight of children in war zones and has influenced global policies. Machel continues to serve as a deputy chair of The Elders, advocating for human rights and social justice across Africa and remains a significant voice in education reform and women’s empowerment initiatives.
(BT/BGIS)
