Introduction

This unit introduces gender equality advocacy and advocacy methods for sensitising and mobilising members of communities to take actions to mitigate climate change impacts. The importance of engaging men to support gender equality and strengthen resiliency is emphasised, and some key methods for engaging men as advocates are discussed.

Although conservation efforts in agriculture are the focus of this course, this unit will briefly discuss the impact of non-agriculture–related actions on gender equality and the indirect but important impact of these actions on reducing vulnerabilities among girls and women.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• identify how to sensitise and mobilise communities, in particular men, to support gender equality to strengthen community efforts to build resiliency and women’s leadership for climate change mitigation.

You will explore the following topics:

• • Advocating for gender equality
  • What is advocacy? What does an advocate do?
  • Advocacy actions (sensitising and mobilising)
  • Why is it important to engage men in supporting gender equality?

Terminology

Advocacy:  Actions giving support or encouragement to another person or people for a particular cause, such as gender equality.

Mobilising:  Assembling and preparing groups of people or communities to take action for a specific purpose or cause, such as climate change mitigation.

Sensitising:  To cause someone to become aware of and respond to an action or issue.

Ally:  A person, organisation or country that is associated with or united with other members of different groups for a common cause.

Champion:  A person who actively supports and defends the rights, principles or causes of other people.

Mentor:  A person who advises and provides on-the-job training to a younger or less senior person. The mentor is likely to be an experienced person who provides leadership and access to networks.

Sponsor:  A person or organisation that pays for or contributes to the costs associated with the hiring of another person or the costs associated with an event.

Advocate:  A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. In specific instances an advocate is a person whose job is to defend someone’s case in a court of law or to act as go-between two conflicting parties.