Josina Z. Machel

Activist and Founder Kuhluka Movement

Meet Josina Z. Machel

At The Speakers Firm, we proudly represent Josina Z. Machel, an inspiring Gender Equality and Human Rights Advocate, social entrepreneur, and survivor leader whose voice continues to redefine the global fight against gender based violence. With an unwavering commitment to justice, dignity, and empowerment, Ms. Machel’s work bridges activism, policy, and enterprise, driving change at the intersection of gender, governance, and social innovation.

Armed with an MSc in Sociology (Gender) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Social Science in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Cape Town, Ms. Machel has dedicated more than two decades to advancing equality and human rights across Southern Africa and beyond. Her advocacy has focused on transforming perceptions, shaping policy, and empowering survivors to rebuild their lives with courage and dignity.

Ms. Machel is the Founder and Director of Protect Her Life, a groundbreaking insurance company designed to support women facing gender based violence by providing emergency response and comprehensive protection packages, underwritten by Capital Alliance (Liberty Life Group). She also founded the Kuhluka Movement, a non profit initiative born from her own lived experience of domestic violence, which empowers survivors of abuse to find healing, voice, and independence. Through Kuhluka, Ms. Machel mobilises communities, engages men and traditional leaders, and challenges cultural norms that perpetuate gender based violence.

Her leadership extends globally. Ms. Machel serves as the Representative of Survivors of Violence, Mozambique, within the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative, a multi year global effort to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She was also named among the Mama Albertina Sisulu 100 Women of Fortitude, recognising her as one of South Africa’s most courageous and purpose driven changemakers.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Machel served as Human Resources Officer at Anglo American, where she shaped wellness and employment equity programmes, and later at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), leading governance and HIV/AIDS interventions. She went on to found Pfukani Ltd, Mozambique’s first wellness and communication consultancy dedicated to HIV/AIDS education and behavioural transformation in the workplace.

Through her advocacy, leadership, and voice, Josina Machel exemplifies resilience and purpose in action, calling the world to accountability, empathy, and reform.

Book Josina Z. Machel through The Speakers Firm, Africa’s #1 Strategic Speakers Bureau, to bring courage, vision, and transformative leadership to your next women’s leadership event, policy dialogue, or social impact summit.

Josina Z. Machel: We must end gender based violence

Josina Z. Machel of Mozambique/South Africa is a well-known Women Human Rights Defender. Following a horrific domestic violence attack that left her blind in one eye, she founded the Kuhluka Movement, a non-profit initiative that empowers women survivors of gender-based violence, to which she dedicates her life.