Evidence-Based Advocacy - United Nations Girls' Education Initiative

Alliances with other organisations: Another way to build or increase advocacy capacities is to actively
engage in collaborative projects and initiatives with other organizations in the countries. Such
engagements could be short-term (e.g. co-hosting or sharing an event or a booth in a national event) or
long-term (e.g. Involvement in more long-term research or training initiatives). For example, an
organization that engages in efforts to prevent child labor can join hands with an organization that
promotes awareness of HIV/AIDS. Common gender-based issues can be identified in both contexts, and
powerful advocacy messages can be developed and advanced, with the added effect of speaking in “one
voice”.
Peer support: Constructive support from peers and active engagement and teamwork with partners can
serve to strengthen advocacy capacities. If planning for advocacy initiatives can ensure a training
component in evidence-based advocacy strategies for all personnel, competent groups of advocates can be
established, who in turn, can serve as peers and mentors to subsequent generations of advocates. For
example, at a national level, if there is initial investment in gender-sensitivity training of a select group of
staff from different ministries, these trainees can in turn, serve as trainers for the next generation of
“gender in education” advocates.
Training, coaching and mentoring in specific aspects of advocacy: It is the general consensus among
researchers and experts in advocacy that training and sound technical preparation are necessary for
advocates. Investment in such training and refresher courses on gender may enhance advocacy capacities
through familiarity with recent research and databases, and also provide stakeholders with opportunities
to interact and network effectively.
Effective organisation: Once objectives are in place, target audiences are identified, evidence is collected,
identified and analyzed, messages are crafted and dissemination strategies outlined, it is also critical to
manage and organize the advocacy process in realistic fashion. For example, piloting the message on a few
target audiences may be a very important strategy that some people in your organization are responsible
for, while others work on the actual presentation of the messages. A collaborative and co-operating
leadership should also be in place to advance the message.
Prioritising and integrating advocacy: Last but not least, the idea of evidence-based advocacy should be
prioritised and integrated in gender initiatives in education. For example, many representatives at
workshops in the Asia-Pacific region reported that the biggest resistance statement that they face in the
countries usually is “we have no gender issues; we have achieved gender parity in our primary
classrooms”. Prioritising gender advocacy may, in this context, mean awareness-raising on the differences
between gender parity and gender equality, and also the notion of keeping gender responsiveness in all
aspects of education (including quality of education, governance decisions etc) and not just in access
related issues.
Reference: Sisson, S. (2009). Advocacy in Action. Presentation, South Asia Regional Workshop on Evidence-based Advocacy for Early Childhood.
Dhaka: Bangladesh, October 27. 2009.
Now that we have identified the underlying processes in identifying evidence and building from that evidence base,
and assessing our advocacy capacities, we now move on to how to take this evidence and craft it into meaningful
advocacy messages.
East Asia and Pacific Regional UNGEI: Evidence-based advocacy for gender in education, a learning guide 36