Become a SRHR Advocate

What is advocacy?

Advocacy noun ad·vo·ca·cy | \ ˈad-və-kə-sē \ Definition of advocacy : the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal : the act or process of advocating something.

Advocacy is the act and/or process of supporting change. Advocacy is about influencing decision-makers to address issues at the root and to implement long-term sustainable solutions. The Youth Coalition, for example, advocates for the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people. We do this by promoting meaningful youth engagement at the national, regional, and international levels. What do advocates do? SRHR advocates raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health rights-related issues, in their communities, on social media, or at higher levels where legislation and policies are being created. SRHR advocates also ensure that leaders and decision-makers are being held accountable to their commitments to SRHR and youth initiatives. Advocates do these things by working with like-minded youth, sharing and posting on social media, creating and distributing petitions, sharing their stories, creating safe and inclusive spaces for others to tell their stories, creating and distributing information through art, fact sheets, and many other countless ways.

How can you begin working as an advocate? See the image below for some tips!

Where to start? - Find your passion. Maybe you are interested in bodily autonomy, comprehensive sexuality education, access to sexual health services, or issues that impact a specific group or population. - Learn as much as you can about the issues that you are passionate about. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch for it in the news, and become familiar with laws and policies that impact these issues. - Become familiar with organizations and groups that are advocating and doing work on these issues within your community! Sexual Health Centres/Clinics and social media are a really great place to start your search! - Volunteer! Participate in community events, webinars and fundraisers! There are lots of ways to be involved, even if you have limited experience. - Develop your skills. Volunteering is a great way to develop skills that will help you in your advocacy journey. These skills include (but aren't limited to) research, public speaking, writing, content creating, and active listening.

Here are some resources and tools to learn more about becoming an advocate:

- IPPF: Want to change the world? Here’s how: Young People as Advocates
- Voices of Youth: Youth Advocacy Guide and Workbook
- Unpacking Advocacy in the Context of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
- Social Media 101: Using Social Media to Advocate and Influence Policy

Resources & Toolkits - IPPF: Want to change the world? Here’s how: Young People as Advocates - Voices of Youth: Youth Advocacy Guide and Workbook - Unpacking Advocacy in the Context of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights - Social Media 101: Using Social Media to Advocate and Influence Policy