Advocacy & Lobbying

Advocacy and lobbying are activities that represent and promote the needs of specific groups in political and social arenas. One such group is women, who can collectively pressure their leaders for legislative reforms to protect and promote women’s rights and concerns. It is the goal of advocacy groups and lobbyists to ensure that both the public and politicians understand and support their cause, so that it gains strength and credibility. Securing rights and gains for women requires coalition-building, funding, civic education, awareness-raising and individuals willing to lead the way.

While the goals of advocacy and lobbying are similar, the processes are distinctly different. Advocacy involves gaining and exercising power to influence a political action. Employing methods such as demonstrations, public campaigns and civic education, advocacy can be the primary mission of international agencies and civil society organizations seeking to influence global and national decision makers. Women worldwide frequently organize themselves for advocacy purposes, drawing on their collective power to affect legislation, official policies and governmental programs. Lobbying, however, refers to influencing the government and its leaders. Lobbyists attempt to sway policy makers and legislators to address specific issues, often by introducing or revising legislation and policy. Lobbying activities may include private meetings with decision makers, public campaigns and demonstrations.

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From the Library:

Video: Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Morocco

This documentary illustrates, when the needs of women living in a particular geographical and cultural context are addressed, the entire community benefits.

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Video: Let’s End Violence Against Women

This video showcases that violence against women is one of the most common forms of violence in the world.

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Empowering Young Women to Lead Change

This manual is to enable young women to prepare and facilitate training on a host of issues that are important to them, including young women’s leadership and human rights.

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MDG3 Global Call to Action Campaign

MDG3 Global Call to Action campaign focuses on the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG 3) on gender equality and women's economic empowerment. Half-way to 2015 we are still far from achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty, which range from providing universal primary care to environmental sustainablility. We need to get on track.

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Training Workshop on Leadership, Media & Conflict Management for Women in Afghanistan

This is a synopsis of a training workshop on leadership, media and conflict management for women in Afghanistan conducted by UNFPA. It includes a short description of each discussion topics and a detailed agenda of the workshop.

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Addressing Violence Against Women: Piloting and Programming

This report highlights lessons learned from ten pilot projects that used a programme guide created by UNFPA to help health care providers address gender-based violence. It also summarizes presentations from ten experts on gender-based violence and recommendations from the three working groups.

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Culture Matters – Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations

This report provides insight into integrating cultural analysis in development programmes, especially in the critical areas of gender equity and equality and reproductive health and rights. The culmination of two years' work with UNFPA field offices, headquarters staff and technical advisers, the report examines culturally sensitive programming during the past decade in a number of countries where UNFPA operates- Brazil, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Uganda and Yemen.

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Consolidated response on how to promote a gender equality policy within a political party

This consolidated response analyses what a gender equality policy means and the key steps as well as concrete measures for developing a political party gender equality policy.
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