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.
20 Mar 2012 - NAMIBIA’S quest for democratic governance in the past 21 years has borne witness to significant progress in the area of gender equality through Government policies and programmes, which include the domestication of international conventions and national policies, as well as ge
19 Mar 2012 - On 15 March 2011 a group of children of the sadly now famous city of Deraa, on their way out of school, wrote the first slogans on street walls calling for democracy and change of the authoritarian regime in Syria.
27 Mar 2012 - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) delivered the keynote address at a March 22 luncheon honoring the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan, the 2012 recipient of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant awarded by NDI.
27 Mar 2012 - In an exclusive discussion with women’s organizations the day after he emerged as the winner of Senegal’s Presidential election on 25 March President-Elect Macky Sall outlined his vision for improving the lives of Senegalese women.
26 Mar 2012 - CEDAW makes recommendations to improve the status of Zimbabwean women The 51st session of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discriminat
27 Mar 2012 - I was elected mayor twice in Norway through a system that opened doors for women in politics. Norwegian political parties routinely reserve top positions on electoral rolls for women. Women in Norway today occupy 39.6% of the seats in Parliament and 40% in the local councils.
28 Mar 2012 - The European Parliament accepted a proposed action plan for expanding women's rights in Turkey, prepared by European Parliament member and rapporteur on women's rights in Turkey Emine Bozkurt.
6 April 2012 - “We are not women, we are Egyptians”. That is what a young woman in Tahrir Square said to me on 25 January 2012, celebrating a year of the Revolution, when I enquired about the group of women she was with.