Advocacy
Advocacy is a deliberate, strategic, and evidence-based process aimed at persuading and influencing decision-makers or relevant stakeholders to take an action to achieve positive change in policy or practice, and thus contribute to ending of FGM/C.
It’s objectives are;
- Promoting self-care for survivors working to end FGM/C especially at grassroot levels, and their capacity to reach out to other survivors with support on wellbeing.
- Influence the formulation, enactment, implementation and enforcement of end FGM/C polices and laws.
- Promote collaboration by including voices of civil society, girls, women and youth-led groups, the media, traditional and religious leaders and other key influencers at multiple levels.
- Strengthen political goodwill, financing, and accountability towards efforts to end FGM/C.
A comprehensive approach involving legal, community, media, services and individual-level, interventions is individual-level, interventions is essential to combat FGM/C effectively;
Legislation related interventions: Aim to ensure a supporting legal environments for advocacy work on ending FGM/C. Includes policies and laws.
Service-level interventions: Target service delivery units with an aim to integrate FGM/C prevention and response in development sectors i.e. education, health, religion examples: integrating psychosocial support and other healthcare services to survivors in healthcare, integrate FGM/C prevention and response in the curriculum of health care workers providing RH services
Community-level interventions: Target groups in communities to promote positive social norms, attitude and behavioural change i.e. education and awareness programs targeting.
Individual-level interventions: Target individuals with an aim to promote positive social norms, attitude and behavioural change i.e. education and awareness programs targeting girls, boys, religious leaders, administrative leaders etc.
Media interventions: Amplify voices, stories, evidence and facts.