When you read the word advocacy, what comes to mind? Images of lawyers defending civil rights cases, teachers demanding extra resources for students, aid agencies pleading for funds to support the hungry? Advocacy can be all of those things but in fact it can be so much more simple.
According to the Perseus online Latin dictionary from Tufts University, the word advocacy comes from Latin meaning “one called to aid; a supporter”1. Many other sites list the meaning as “to be called to stand beside”.
Did you just have the same WOW moment that I did when I read that for the first time? To be called to stand beside. Yes! Advocacy starts with a feeling, a compulsion to support something we believe in. A desire to create change and to turn the ‘what is’ in to a ‘what should be’2. A commitment to walk beside others to build a better future.
At The Babes Project, the ‘what is’ is a society where some women are unsupported and alone through the experience of pregnancy, birth and parenthood. We are passionate to see our ‘what should be’ become available to all women. The ‘what should be’ is a community where all women can access support throughout their pregnancy, birth and parenting journey. It is a community where women are empowered and are in control of their circumstances. They are provided with the information, support and understanding needed to make great decisions about her life and that of her child.3
If your dream for the ‘what should be’ is the same as ours and you feel the passion stirring, we would love for you to advocate with us for the women we support. You can jump on board as a regular financial supporter or simply make a one-off donation. Click here for more info.
If you’re unable to contribute financially, you may choose to advocate with The Babes Project by sharing our story, our passion and our ‘what should be’. It’s as easy as sharing our Facebook posts and spreading the word.
Are you called to stand beside?
1. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?redirect=true&lang=Latin
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advocacy
3. http://www.thebabesproject.com.au