Advocacy & Networking
Background
Within the mid-1999, an evaluation was conducted to monitor GAD/C programmes’ effective implementation and its achievements since GAD/C became a potential and active organization to promote women’s status and mutual recognizing of and respect between men and women in family and community in term of development of society. As a result, the evaluation also stressed the importance of addressing the need to coordinate women’s advocacy. Consequently, a small advocacy team was attached to the programme during the final quarter of the year 1999. Through the three year work plan of 2001-2003 and 2004-2006, the advocacy team was very active and took a prominent role in facilitating networking among women’s activists, producing and publishing material to highlight causes related to women’s rights, and lobbying legislators for laws and their effective implementation to protect and advance women’s rights.
The Advocacy and Networking team has continued to carry out its activities concerning women’s rights by ensuring that gender sensitive laws are in place and women’s issues are fully protected by laws through a concrete five year strategic plan 2007-2011 of GAD/C.
Goals & Objectives
The goals of Advocacy and Networking Unit/Programme are:
- There are effective advocacy networks of civil society, youth, and state institutions that promote gender equity.
- There are gender sensitive laws, policies, plans, and decision-making institutions in place.
- Develop and conduct effective advocacy campaigns for gender responsive laws, policies, plans and institutions.
- Mobilizing and supporting effective civil society and youth networks.
- To increase the number of women initiating and participating in advocacy activities on issues directly affecting them.
- Networks have access to tools to support their roles as leaders in relation to gender equity.
- To increase the number of women elected as local government officials who have the skills to develop and implement advocacy campaigns.
- Monitor and report on Government's achievements and shortfalls in relation to gender responsive laws, policies, plans and programmes.