THE ROADSHOW

1. THE ROADSHOW Lobbying

2. Here you can read part of the Federation’s Constitution. It encourages all members to be aware of and involved in issues of society which have political (with a small p) implications and to take up positions of advocacy using the document Where We Stand as a guide. So let’s be very clear, making our views heard on matters which affect women and the world in which we live, and trying to influence things for the better - or ‘bothering’ - is a very important part of being a Soroptimist. This emphasis on advocacy carries through to the UKPAC. At each International Convention, when the Programme Focus is decided, the Committee sets out its strategic aims and provides guidelines not only for its work but also for the work in Regions and clubs. Following on from Glasgow in 2007, these have now been sent down to all clubs. 

3. These are the Programme Action objectives until 2011, decided at Glasgow and agreed by SIGBI at Harrogate in 2007. They give us much scope for active lobbying. Within its General Programme Aims, mentioned earlier, there is the statement that UKPAC should respond to government initiatives and consultation documents both from a specialist point of view and as working women. Some issues are brought to the committee by representatives on outside bodies like: The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, UNICEF UK and the Cluster Munitions Coalition (e.g. UK Campaign lobbying group recently sent letter to David Miliband)

4. So what does the UKPAC Lobbyist do? *Her brief is to follow what is happening at government level: white and green papers, consultative documents, bills, select committee work and so on, and monitor movements gaining strength for possible legislation, especially with regard to women’s rights and the family. She brings relevant issues to the UKPAC and from there to clubs where the committee feels countrywide lobbying would be appropriate. She is also there to support all members and to enable them to lobby effectively by giving advice and useful information should you need it. *See Christine’s description of the Lobbying job at the end of this presentation

5. The Lobbyist’s brief is to monitor government actions and this means making sure that we do respond to consultation documents. These are issued before legislation is formulated so that government can learn how we all feel. Responding to these is an important part of UKPAC activity and the responses from organisations like ourselves can often influence how the government proceeds. To give you an example: in 2008 both at national and at club level, along with other groups, we responded to the consultation document Tackling Human Trafficking and afterwards the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking was produced after, “Careful consideration of your responses to the public consultation”. This came up in 2007 and we have managed, with the help of members from three clubs, to contribute through the Women’s National Commission, and we have also been able to comment on the draft report. It is going direct to the UN in July 2008, and nearly all of our comments on the draft report, particularly re health and education, were included. The titles show how very specialised they can be and we do not have all the specialist knowledge on the committee. So your help again is just so important.

6. The Lobbyist would like to develop a list of people and clubs who do have the specialist knowledge and experience and who would be willing to help with these responses. If you or your club is willing to go on the list, please let us know so that we can continue to put in responses of the highest quality, for which we have an enviable reputation. But helping the UKPAC does not mean that your club cannot respond individually. We are also able to lobby ministers direct when the Lobbyist has meetings with the Ministers for Women – more on that later. One important point, if your club or Region feels that there is a topic which should be taken up nationally, then what you should do is let the UKPAC, or the Lobbyist know if it is a lobbying issue, via your regional PA chair. So much goes on in UKPAC and it is hoped you now understand that lobbying is an important part of its work.

7. CEDAW, the Convention for End Discrimination Against Women, came in to being in the 1980s. Every four years the UK government has to prepare a report saying what it has done to improve the status of women. But, of course, they can paint a rosy picture, so all women’s organisations are asked to present information to be incorporated into a Shadow Report, which is presented at the same time as the government report, to the UN Committee.

8. Now let’s look at the other side of the coin - lobbying at club or Regional level, and look at some ways to help you to put YOUR point of view forward. But first a word about the Where We Stand, policy document mentioned earlier. This statement of Soroptimist policy was issued years ago by Soroptimist International on a variety of important topics - 54 in all - and we should refer to it before commencing any lobbying campaign to find out the official SI view. This slide shows the list of relevant items which could be grouped under Environment, as an example. You can download the Where We Stand document from the UKPAC website; the summary is best.

9. Do your research thoroughly to enable you to be well-informed. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to do your research before you start on a subject that you feel strongly about. The essence of good lobbying is not to write emotive letters to all and sundry but to beaver away to make sure of your facts and to check out the validity of the arguments you wish to put forward - and to ascertain who it is best to contact. Without this no lobbying campaign will be effective. Plan your strategy - what you want to do, whom you want to contact and when, and what you want to achieve. Form partnerships with like-minded organisations to increase your effectiveness. Target appropriate opinion formers and decision-makers. Write careful and succinct letters – there is a presentation on publicity which includes letter-writing for best effect.

10. Monitor progress and be prepared to change if something doesn’t work. Make sure that all club members are in the picture. When relevant, keep the UKPAC informed too! Lobbying should be a vibrant and integral part of the life of every club and not something that should be on the sidelines. Clubs should identify someone or a group of members who will act as a focus. Lobbying, particularly if you are in a group, can be both fun and rewarding and it can help to put your club on the map as well as offering alternative ways for people to contribute to the life of the club who may not always want to be involved in project work or fundraising. It doesn’t always mean having a large project to work on. You have all got local issues on which you could lobby - have a go! If you are a club which has not done very much, then get together and plan what you will campaign on and when (timing is important), how you are going to put your views forward and to whom.

11. Things you can do to make your campaign effective: Decide if it is relevant to contact your local councillors and local businesses and organisations to find out what they were doing and planning and to make them aware of your views and concerns. Try to get a letter in the local press or get on local radio etc. Hold an activity or series of activities (they don’t have to be large) related to the issue to get publicity – you may even get new members! Join with other like-minded groups or other clubs in the Region; partnerships make more impact and spread the SI message. Sometimes it may be relevant to contact your MP or MEP. Set a timescale and review progress – do you continue or do you stop? Remember to be effective you’ve got to be persistent – the ‘water dripping on a stone’ analogy.One approach is not enough. It is the persistency that will eventually make people sit up and take notice.

12. Now we come to relationships with your Elected Representatives (a clumsy phrase but it does cover all the UK). To be able to put your views across to them when you need to, it is really useful to have got to know them and have developed a good relationship with them. Then lobbying is much easier. If you lobby sensibly, they will become aware of what your club and SI stands for. If they are aware of this and know what you are interested in, sometimes they may turn to you as an opinion-former, as, indeed will local radio and TV, if you cultivate them. In these instances you stress your expertise and just drop in nonchalantly your SI connection – it works!

13. Now what about the business of writing letters? The first thing to say is that you should use the facility of writing to your elected representative sparingly. When you do write you should make sure that you are very clear about what you want to say (research) and the point or points you wish to be answered. If you have a good relationship with them, then they will take notice of you because you will have credibility. And it may be that you can contact them or visit them to present your letter. Of course, you know that MPs and MEPs have very different interests. But don’t forget the MEP!

14. When you are writing letters it is important to remember that the presentation should be clear and uncluttered and on one sheet of A4 paper. The introductory paragraph should make clear the purpose of the letter. Then give details of your club’s concerns (these should be bulleted and be succinct). Always ask one question (which needs an answer) or call for action. End the letter by saying, “We look forward to hearing from you” as this means they should give you the courtesy of a reply. Letters should, of course, be signed by the President. If your membership straddles constituencies, then write a letter to each of them, stressing that you have members of their constituency in your club and you can give a reply address of a member in the constituency. However, remember, don’t flood MPs with letters from individual Soroptimists – this is a sure way to the bin and a sure way for us to lose credibility. Of course, any individual can lobby on anything, but there must be a clear distinction between these letters and the letters which go out bearing the Soroptimist banner.

15. E-mail and Fax are not as effective as a letter and at the beginning of your campaign won’t have the impact of a well produced letter. They will almost certainly be passed over, if your elected representative has no idea who you are. If you have developed a relationship with them, then this is a useful tool. It is quick and easy, but doesn’t get so much attention. Remember a letter has to be answered, but often e-mail and faxes do not.

16. Hopefully this outline presentation of the lobbying aspects of UKPAC life and the tips to successful lobbying in clubs will whet your appetites to do more on the lobbying front in the future. And we will all do what we can to help, if it is needed. Remember that lobbying is a very good way to engage members, particularly new ones and it is: Fun, Satisfying, Productive, Good for team spirit and enables us to: Raise awareness, Practice advocacy and Get into the action!

17. The Role of the Lobbyist Christine Tobias was the UKPAC Lobbyist for three years and wrote the following description of her role shortly before her death in April 2009 The Role of the UKPAC Lobbyist My work has altered over the past years since I became the Lobbyist and it might be helpful to others if I set out what is entailed. It seems to divide into four parts. 1. The liaison and support of clubs in the UK Many more seem to be taking lobbying to heart and I am compiling a list of those who are most involved. This has involved my visiting clubs to speak about lobbying (outside Roadshow visits – though I think the Roadshow has given lobbying a higher profile), putting clubs in touch with one another as and when, and helping with aspects of a club’s lobbying campaign on a particular issue. 2. Monitoring and Responding to Government Consultative Documents In my time this has been a heavy commitment, particularly with the CEDAW Shadow Report(but this will not raise its head again for another four years!) and government now seems to be developing the habit of consulting before consultation – ie: it asks interested parties to send in views, very often through a series of questions to help it in its preparation of the Consultative Document.

18. The Role of the UKPAC Lobbyist- continued So the Lobbyist must herself, or with people she knows who have experience in the subject under discussion, keep tabs on and respond as required at both stages. One major problem is choosing to which Consultations to respond. In addition to those I am asked to respond to, I am ruthless in making sure that we respond only to those which would have a major influence on women. Some documents can be very technical and we need people with experience in the field to respond – the Lobbyist can’t do it all. This has lead me to try to develop a list of such people, but it is easier said than done. We have such experience amongst our members that it is criminal not to be able to use it. It is one of the great strengths of Soroptimism. Now that we have devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland, some Consultations are issued separately, so that a document issued for England will not be exactly the same as those issued elsewhere. I have suggested before that we identify people in these areas who can track and possibly organise a specific response. Working with other Organisations – there is the question of whether or how we should be working with other bodies on a response. I have worked with a couple of groups over the past three years but we did put in individual reports – this was the case for example, in a couple of our replies to the WNC for the CEDAW Shadow Report .

19. The Role of the UKPAC Lobbyist- continued 3.   When I become the UKPAC Lobbyist we had a representative on the Council of Europe but, of course, no longer, so I now monitor the activities both of the Council of Europe and The EU. There is a considerable amount of legislation affecting women and children: stop violence against women, trafficking etc – being developed by the EU. As I have explained before, effective lobbying in respect of the EU can only be done at the Commission stage. Beyond that the MEPs govern by seeking consensus and much time is taken adjusting the bills to a ‘one size fits all’. This is why MEPs in Parliament and Committee cannot influence substantially. • Quite a number of issues come to the Lobbyist from SIGBI – to give an example, I have worked with Sue Challoner (APD for Economic and Social Development)on Fair Trade issues, but there have been others. Also we receive requests from SIGBI asking us to get involved in certain issues/conferences. I hope this analysis gives you some idea of the role of the UKPAC Lobbyist. Christine Tobias, February 2009