The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) launched the Inclusive Digital Advocacy Toolkit, a new resource to support civil society organizations (CSOs), organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and diverse advocates to use social media and technology in advocacy activities.
The Inclusive Digital Advocacy Toolkit was authored by IFES Senior Inclusion Specialist Rebecca Aaberg and IFES Youth Engagement Specialist Ashley Law, with support from key contributors IFES Deputy Country Director Lasanthi Daskon, IFES Inclusion Program Associate Kailee Smart and IFES consultant Chris Donn. The toolkit was additionally informed with the insight of IFES’ youth and OPD partners, including the General Election Network for Disability Access in Southeast Asia, the Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON), and the University of South Pacific Student Association.
The toolkit provides step-by-step instructions for designing and carrying out digital advocacy activities using an intersectional approach, with particular attention to the unique experiences of people who identify with multiple marginalized groups, such as young people with disabilities and ethnic minority women. The toolkit can be used by CSOs, OPDs, and self-advocates with stakeholders such as election management bodies (EMBs), political parties, candidates, elected officials, and government ministries.
The Inclusive Digital Advocacy Toolkit contains several sections that guide users through the process of creating an inclusive digital advocacy campaign and offers practical guidance for using digital advocacy, with a special emphasis on accessibility and online safety. The toolkit provides practical tips for ensuring that digital advocacy content is accessible and inclusive, such as good practices for writing alt-text for photos and graphics and how to include alt-text on social media platforms. The toolkit also emphasizes the importance of online safety for individuals and for organizations. Engaging in digital advocacy activities can increase the risk of bullying, harassment and cyberattacks, and hate speech and negative comments can impact the mental health of team members who engage in digital advocacy.
The toolkit is intended to be used by diverse activists around the world including:
- Self-advocates;
- System advocates who are focused on changing laws and policies; and
- Individual advocates who speak out for a group that they identify with or as an ally
This toolkit uses an intersectional approach, with particular attention to the unique experiences of people who identify with multiple marginalized groups, such as youth with disabilities or ethnic minority women and provides examples of how digital engagement can address barriers to meaningful participation. The toolkit guides users through each step of the process of creating an inclusive digital advocacy campaign to ensure advocates promote the rights of all people and deliver advocacy efforts in an inclusive and accessible manner. The toolkit also shares tools and good practices for stakeholders to implement an advocacy campaign that aligns with their country’s context and safeguards them in difficult circumstances, including conflict or health crises.
You can Download this free toolkit from here.
