What is the WAGGGS definition of Advocacy?

The word ‘advocacy’ comes from the Latin ‘advocare’ and literally means ‘to call out for support’. Today it is used to describe a particular democratic process, where individuals or groups of people take different actions to try to influence those who make decisions that affect our lives.  Advocacy is also about standing up for an issue or cause you believe in, and trying to change people’s lives to build a better world.

 For WAGGGS, advocacy is simply:    

In detail this means:      
We influence people (= by speaking, doing and educating ) 
to take decisions  (= for example change policies or regulations, allocate funding, provide support) that will improve our life and the lives of others (= the result we are trying to achieve)

 For WAGGGS, influencing always includes:       

In detail this means:  

• Speaking out on issues that affect girls and young women and influencing opinion-formers
• Doing projects that address root causes of issues affecting girls and young women   
• Educating girls, young women and society at large in areas such as leadership, health, peace and world citizenship

Advocacy is all about taking a stand to influence others and to bring about positive change and putting pressure on those who can bring about change to help build a better world.  We are asking Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to help people take active and positive responsibility, not just for themselves but also for others.   

Find out some of the ways in which Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in Europe are already speaking out, educating, and taking action to influence others and to bring about positive change to help build a better world.   

Contact the Europe Office and tell us how your Association has been speaking out, educating or taking action in the Europe Region.