10 Reasons Why Advocacy is Important

As a core aspect of social work, advocacy involves pursuing a cause to create positive change. Advocates work to influence an individual or group, such as lawmakers, to rectify social injustices and support marginalized communities.¹

Advocacy is embraced by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, which urges welfare professionals to pursue meaningful change on behalf of vulnerable people and challenge inequalities such as discrimination.² Social workers, as advocates, aim to “ensure that all people have equal access to resources and opportunities that allow them to meet their basic needs.”³

Read on to learn more about the importance of advocacy in social work. 

According to the NASW, people of color in the United States have faced systemic inequality over centuries because of their race.⁴ Redlining, for example, promoted discrimination by denying mortgages and financial services to Black applicants.⁵ Similarly, women, people with disabilities and members of marginalized religious communities—such as Jews and Muslims—have been victims of unfair treatment for many years.⁴

Social advocacy is based on the belief that everyone should be treated fairly and given equal access to basic human needs regardless of their physical status, race, religious affiliation or sex.⁴ In other words, it encourages social justice and ensures that society upholds everyone's human dignity. 

Advocacy amplifies the voices of people who need to be heard, especially those in minority populations. It involves speaking up for under-represented or oppressed communities so that their perspectives are taken seriously and their voices listened to. This enables individuals to become more involved in decisions that affect their lives.⁶

A policy advocacy campaign strives to initiate, direct or prevent specific policy changes by influencing the actions of legislators in government and decision-makers in big organizations.

Advocates can drive policy changes in one or all of the following ways:⁷

• Speaking directly to lawmakers by testifying before legislative committees, providing expert advice on policy issues or contacting elected officials via letters and online channels
• Advising an agency’s or company’s board of directors to shape how they understand a social problem
• Putting pressure on political leaders and organizations through legacy media or social media platforms, such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)

In 1848, when women in the United States were not allowed to vote, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others organized the Seneca Falls Convention to advocate for equal rights for women. Largely viewed as the first women’s rights convention in this country, it led to the introduction of the Nineteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.⁸ 

 Social work advocacy is essential because it reveals issues people would otherwise ignore or fail to notice. Advocates can share their experiences of working with a particular community or pursuing a cause to enlighten the public about the less-known facts they identified over time.

One facet of advocacy is educating the public through social channels or legacy media, which helps people understand social issues. Advocates can use education to break down stereotypes, influence beliefs and gain passionate supporters—and more advocates—for their causes.⁹

Advocacy work is more than publicly supporting the rights of an individual or group. A core function is connecting people with services or resources they need to find their way through a challenging situation or health condition.¹⁰

An advocate can work individually with or on behalf of a particular community to defend people’s interests. The support is to help those in need, such as people with disabilities, understand their rights and know that they have options when it comes to addressing their conditions.¹¹ 

Advocacy efforts such as petitions and peaceful protests can pressure institutions or people in power to act responsibly. For instance, the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey was voted out after three consecutive years of weekly Black Lives Matter protests against her. People said that she didn’t do enough to prosecute police officers involved in unjustified shootings.¹² Additionally, the protests inspired nationwide police reforms, which made legislators pass laws against police brutality.¹³

The United States has a history of multiple advocacy movements that caused fundamental shifts with long-term impacts on society. Before 1920, for example, women couldn’t vote.⁸ Now, because of the efforts of women's rights advocates, not only have women gained the right to vote, they’ve been able to use that to drive further change at the ballot box.

In a more recent example, international and local agencies are fiercely combating systemic racism by eliminating inequalities in policies and embedding fairness and inclusivity in decision-making and foreign policy.¹⁴

Advocacy promotes civic engagement by encouraging people to get involved in matters that are important to them and affect their lives. This could be through volunteering for a good cause, voting for responsible leaders or testifying before legislative committees to influence policymaking.¹⁵

Advocacy protects human rights by raising awareness of inequalities, fighting against social injustices and influencing social change that promotes equality. For example, advocates in the 1960s fought to abolish racial segregation and change laws that denied African Americans the right to vote in this country.¹⁶ Today, global organizations such as the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) and the United Nations defend the rights of people around the world.^{17, 18}

Because an advocacy campaign can raise awareness of underlying issues in communities, influence amendments to legislation and dismantle systemic injustices, it can lead to long-term change in how society functions. That way, the efforts of equality and human rights movements have a lasting impact. 

To become an effective advocate, you need an in-depth understanding of different cultures and how legislation impacts people in those communities. With an online Master of Social Work (MSW) from Yeshiva University, you gain advanced knowledge that can help you thrive in social work advocacy and make a difference in the world. You will graduate with skills that open doors to new job opportunities. This could mean finding a position at an organization you’d love to work with focusing on a cause you're passionate about, or climbing the career ladder by moving more rapidly from entry-level to senior positions with more responsibilities and higher earning potential.

Since the MSW curriculum is online, you can study at your own pace and obtain a graduate degree without giving up your current job or interfering with family obligations.

Schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor today to see how you can prepare for a better future.