How to get your local government to listen

Abigail has been a youth activist for 5 years. In this video, she shares her top tips on how to get your local government to listen.

Local government can be one of the most influential stakeholders in your campaign. Making them listen to what you are fighting for – and the reasons why – is essential to making changes in your community.

Youth activist Abigail from Ghana has been trying to improve young people’s access to sexual health information for 5 years by lobbying her local government. In this video, she provides her top tips on how to get your local government to listen.

In this video, youth activist Abigail shares her top tips on how you can get your local government to listen to you. 

Abigail’s top tips on how to get your local government to listen

  1.  Use figures and stories: Figures will help give your local government logical reasons to listen to you. Human stories will appeal to their emotions and their hearts.
  2.  Link your goals: Link your advocacy asks to the goals of your local government or local decision maker. If there is a clear link between your advocacy and theirs it will make it easier for them to consider what you’re asking for.
  3.  Make allies: Try and influence the members of your local government because once you’ve influenced them, they can help you influence others.
  4.  Never give up: Be persistent and consistent with what you are asking. You won’t get your local government to listen to you straight away, but be persistent and keep asking for what you want.
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