THE

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THE ROADSHOW
Lobbying
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Here you can read part of the Federations
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 lets 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. 
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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)
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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 womens 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 Christines description of the Lobbying job
at the end of this presentation
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The Lobbyists 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 Womens 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.
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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.
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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 womens 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.
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Now lets 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.
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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.
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Monitor progress and be prepared to change if
something doesnt 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 doesnt 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.
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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
dont 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 youve
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.
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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!
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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 dont
forget the MEP!
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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
clubs 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, dont 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.
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E-mail and Fax are not as effective as a letter
and at the beginning of your campaign wont 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 doesnt get so much
attention. Remember a letter has to be
answered, but often e-mail and faxes do not.
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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!
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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 clubs 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.
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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 cant 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 .

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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