This session examines issue-based advocacy with a focus on women’s issues. Students learn how women can invoke the interests of the family as a basis to demand that female candidates commit to a platform that advances women’s lot in society. These platforms can include the elimination of gender segregation, gender-based and/or ethnic-based educational discrimination, and the like. Women’s rights advocates are encouraged to publicly challenge female candidates about their platforms concerning women’s issues and how they intend to address them as government representatives upon winning the election. They are encouraged to demand that female candidates put forth possible bills on creating employment opportunity for women. Whether the candidates address such questions explicitly or choose to remain silent about them, issue-based actions, turn women’s votes into valuable political capital, shape women’s participation proactively, and help to sustain issue-based advocacy discourse long after the election itself.
This session introduces issue-based advocacy in four sections. The session opens through a few introductory...
