Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

Practical tips for lobbying
� Plan what is going to be said. Keep the message simple and to-the-point. Have a
simple, clear-cut understanding of what is being asked of the decision-maker to do,
i.e., vote for a specific bill.
� If you lobby a member of parliament and you are a constituent, begin by stating that.
Legislators are most responsive to the people who can keep them in office (or vote
them out).
� Know your message. After identifying (and possibly writing down) what you want
the decision-maker to do, think about a key point or personal story that supports your
position.
� Know your audience. If you do not know much about your interlocutor, research
about him/her. Be sure to find out where s/he stands on the issue you're focusing on.
� Personalize your comments. Connect your issue with the area or thematic field the
decision-maker represents. Use precise examples.
� Ask for a specific commitment. The best way to encourage your interlocutors to
take specific action is to ask them directly. If they decline, encourage them to think
about the issue, and let them know that you'll be in touch again.
� Communicate more than once. Quantity is as important as quality in grassroots
advocacy. One letter will not have much influence on a decision-maker. As you
continue to monitor your issue, find various ways to communicate and ask for
specific support or action as appropriate within the ongoing political process.
Source: adapted from Global AIDS Alliance, 2009.
Question time
“Question Time” in Parliament (or other forms of legislative assembly) describes
sessions at which Members of Parliament (MPs) ask questions to Government members
(such as Cabinet Ministers) which they are obliged to answer. It is a common practice in
several parliamentary democracies and in the European Parliament. If it exists in your
country and you know an MP who supports your cause, share your policy brief with him
or her and propose specific questions she or he can raise at Question Time.
TOOLS:
� Advocacy and Lobbying Manual (Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons
with Disabilities, 2006). This manual was developed for use in their advocacy
and lobbying workshops and includes a step-by-step plan for engaging in
advocacy work in any field. Available in English.
� A Parliamentary Response to Violence against Women: Conference of
Chairpersons and Members of Parliamentary Bodies Dealing with Gender
Equality (Inter-Parliamentary Union Campaign; 2-4 December 2008, Geneva).
Available in English. See also the Campaign website in English and French.
Letters and Petitions
Letter (or postcard) -writing and petitions to political decision-makers, opinion-shapers
and the media are common techniques to draw attention to a cause and ask for public
action, or to correct misleading public statements made by others. Lobbying letters are
addressed directly and only to the relevant decision-makers (primary targets), while
open letters, postcards, sign-on letters and petitions are shared with a wide public
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Campaigns December 2011