Evidence-Based Advocacy - United Nations Girls' Education Initiative

Section I: What is advocacy?
What is evidence-based advocacy?
Is advocacy only for the experts?
No. Advocacy is for everybody!
The key to understanding advocacy is that many of us do it every day. For example, we may be
recommending that a female member of the family should be given the same treatment or resource
as a male member of the family.
Different types of advocacy are suited to different contexts.
Advocacy is about making changes to policy and practice that will improve
the lives of children (both girls and boys).
What is advocacy?
Telling your story to a decision maker, persuading someone about why it is important to advance a particular cause
What resources do we need for advocacy?
Collecting evidence and the process
of accumulation, analysis and
utilization of data requires technical
expertise.
However, ensuring that the data are
used to advance the cause of a
particular group of people: e.g.,
young children, women, marginalized
groups etc. requires political
commitment and will.
UNI45405 © UNICEF/NYHQ2006-1440/Ninfa Bito
Dos and don’ts of advocacy
Advocacy should not be ‘added on’ to what you do, but should be built into your work.
Advocacy usually offers credible positive alternatives.
Advocacy aims to change specific policies affecting children and young adults, create political space.
It is directed at those who have the power to influence others’ lives: the goal is institutional change.
Advocacy requires clear goals and measurable objectives.
Advocacy is a long-term process rather than a one-off event, and is not an end in itself. It is a part of
your work.
Advocacy is based on evidence from your work and experience (“experience/evidence based
advocacy”).
Generally, advocacy is active support of a cause, idea or a policy – a set of organised (planned) activities designed
to influence the policies and actions of others to achieve positive changes for children’s lives based on the
experience and knowledge (evidence) of working directly with children, their families and communities.
East Asia and Pacific Regional UNGEI: Evidence-based advocacy for gender in education, a learning guide 10