Stakeholders learn to design effective education and lobbying gender campaigns |03 November 2012

This was through a two-day training workshop held recently at the National Council for Children’s (NCC) head office at Bel Eau.

The aim of the workshop was to train and build on the skills of stakeholders and partners involved in designing education and lobbying campaigns to be able to better carry out communication activities identified in the National Gender Policy and Plan of Action.

The training follows some brainstorming sessions a few weeks before on the development of a national gender communication strategy in line with the policy and action plan.

The campaign design training also forms part of the process to finalise the two mentioned documents. 
The gender secretariat in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports is carrying out the process. Local gender consultant Mahrookh Pardiwalla and senior research officer from the gender secretariat Tessa Siu led the recent training sessions.

During the two days those taking part in the training learned about the various aspects to consider when  designing a campaign. These include the need to plan and work out the campaign’s aims, to get it well organised to be able to do the right things at the right time to help achieve the campaign’s aims and ensure the campaign message has been well phrased and the various groups being targeted have been well identified.

This is because experience of stakeholders conducting campaigns in broad social areas such as health related issues namely obesity, breastfeeding, HIV/Aids and drugs has shown that though campaign objectives are usually clear they do not necessarily reach the audience targeted.

Among the reasons for this is the medium used is not so appropriate and the timing probably not suitable and thus the campaign message do not have the desired impact.

Ms Siu said it is hoped that after the training those who took part will be able to give better support to future gender advocacy and education campaigns in line with the policy and plan of action in their various organisations.