The value of advocacy in promoting social change : implementing the new Domestic Violence Act in South Africa

This paper describes an advocacy campaign to ensure the effective implementation of South Africa's Domestic Violence Act. Lessons from the campaign stress the importance of coalition building to draw on diverse strengths, and the use of a combination of advocacy tools, including lobbying, media advocacy and social mobilisation to achieve campaign goals. While many advocacy efforts focus on the development of policy and legislation, ongoing efforts are needed to ensure effective implementation, the commitment of adequate resources and monitoring to identify gaps and propose new solutions. The experience presented highlights the important role of policy advocates in connecting the multiple streams at play in the policy and legislative arena