12.1 What is WASH advocacy?

Advocacy was introduced in Study Session 9 as one of the main approaches to influencing behaviour. It means making a case in support of a particular cause or activity and trying to convince other people, usually decision makers, that it is a good idea. Advocacy is a process to influence decisions within political, economic and social systems and institutions. In an urban WASH context, advocacy may include many activities that you and your organisation undertake including engaging opinion leaders, addressing community meetings, media campaigns and public speaking.

In general, advocacy approaches are either directed towards policies or towards programmes. Policy advocacy involves attempts to explain to senior politicians and administrators the impact of an issue at the national level and the need for changes to laws and policies (WHO, 2008). In a WASH context, an example is a media campaign to advocate a decrease in the tax imposed on soap to help improve use of soap. Programme advocacy takes place at a more local level. It involves attempts to explain to local leaders the need for action at local community level. In an urban WASH context this might include the mobilising of community leaders to promote the practice of handwashing or mobilising religious leaders to interpret and explain faith-based texts which refer to the importance of personal hygiene.

Advocacy for improving urban WASH services involves organising public opinion and participation to make changes in policy and practice as well as influencing policy makers and implementers to consider community interests. It can involve a range of strategies and activities that are intended to draw attention to an issue. Various materials and media can be used to communicate WASH information, not only posters and pamphlets but other options such as spoken messages or T-shirts, as shown in Figure 12.1.

Figure 12.1 These T-shirts have been printed with information about a community outreach programme.

Advocacy should be strategic and use well-designed and organised activities to influence policy or decision makers about the important issues that you think will affect the water supply, sanitation and hygiene of your community. For instance urban WASH policy, legislation and regulations may be in place but might not be applied. As a WASH practitioner you could identify these gaps and advocate the use of existing structures and mechanisms to try to close them.