1.0. About the Department

Department of Gender Advocacy at the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) is first Advocacy Department on Gender to strengthen its engagement with students’ society organizations both male and female at MUST. It one of the Department within a Center for Gender studies at the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST). The main goal of Department of Gender and advocacy is to challenge the powerful in favor of the deprived and disadvantaged ones. This can be achieved through a variety of strategies, such as discussing gender problems directly with policy makers, delivering messages through the media or outreach and strengthening the ability of organizations to advocate.

This Department will bring together various students and staff to create a platform for exchange, capacity building. It will also look to develop practical advocacy campaigns on men’s and women’s social participation and gender equality in academic on national level. 

Department of Gender Advocacy has mandated to promoting gender equality and empowerment particularly as it relates to marginalized academic community. This mandate is achieved through ongoing programming, campaigns, resources, services, advocacy, and a commitment to accessibility.

1.2. Objectives

The main goals of Department of Gender Advocacy are:

• Encourage and organize gender-based debates and dialogues for improving delivery of services to ensure gender equality and sustainability.
• Organize seminars and conferences open for public participation on gender issues
• Establish networks and linkages with stakeholders at national and international levels on gender issues
• Facilitate both men and women to recognize and undertake their complementary roles in society through mass media, public lecturers, seminar and workshops
• Conduct outreach programmes and advocacy services in gender related issues through short courses, seminars, workshops and mass media.
• Sensitization and promotion of science subjects and career development among secondary schools’ students and
• Organize the exchange programs regularly.
• Promote and support gender awareness and sensitivity in teaching and research;

• Conduct Gender research on various areas such as: Students’ life, emerged technologies, signs of academic gender violence, differences in computer literacy etc.

1.3. Approaches to Advocacy

Advocacy in academics is the giving of public support to an idea, a course of action or a belief. It is also a strategy to influence university policy makers when they make laws and regulations, distribute resources and make other decisions that affect student’s lives, it is more collaborative action. It helps get the interest of the marginalized people or students represented and addressed in public policy, attitudes and practices. Three approaches can be used to advocacy:

• Advocacy for when the issues are identified by those who are not necessary affected by the issue within the university but are concerned with justice and/or equity (being a voice for the voiceless and enabling the voiceless to find their own voice)
• Advocacy with when the issue is identified by the academic or university community which is concerned and wants to solve the problem by working with the affected within the community.
• Advocacy by when the issue is identified directly by those affected by a particular issue who want to achieve change in the gender situation.

1.4. Participants in Gender

The Department of Gender Advocacy is targeting all students Male & Female, student’s organization, staff, gender policy marker, advocates, active members of men’s and women’s organizations, mainstream human NGOs or non-formal civil society initiatives with a strong track record on advancing men’s and women’s participation and gender equality in general.