Self-advocacy is an important skill that allows women to communicate their needs effectively with others. This includes everyone from bosses to friends, relatives, and spouses. When women master this skill, they can navigate life more easily with resilience, assertiveness, and confidence.
Here are a few examples of what it means to be your own self-advocate:
- Asking for a raise at work and providing legitimate evidence that supports your request.
- Telling a friend you don’t eat seafood when they recommend it for dinner and suggesting the two of you come up with another idea that pleases everyone involved.
- Asking a teacher if you can take a math test in a separate room or after class if you get test anxiety.
These are all very different examples; but they each communicate a vital part of self-advocacy which is understanding the value you bring to the table, communicating your preferences clearly, and recognizing what you need to feel in control or empowered.
Elements of Successful Self-Advocacy
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is at the core of successful self-advocacy. Self-awareness is an understanding of your values, goals, strengths, and weaknesses. When you nurture it, you can gain clarity around your priorities and your needs.
Resilience
If you bounce back after experiencing setbacks or failure, then you have resilience. It's the ability to dust yourself off and get back up, adapt to change, and cope with adversity. You can't achieve self-advocacy without resilience because you will likely run into setbacks, rejections, and resistance as you advocate for yourself.
Assertiveness
When you confidently and effectively express your needs, thoughts, and feelings, that is assertiveness. Don't confuse it with aggressiveness, there's no need to be disrespectful when you're being assertive. It's an important self-advocacy skill because it empowers you to communicate more effectively. It's about being clear and direct while actively listening to others.
Problem-Solving
When you try to advocate for yourself, you will run into challenges and some of them will be more complex than others. Regardless, it requires a level of problem-solving to find solutions to overcome the barrier you're faced with. It could be an obstacle as you advocate for an accommodation at work or try to resolve a dispute with your partner.
Communication
You can't self-advocate without learning how to communicate effectively. Effective communication involves articulating your needs clearly and persuasively. It is the ability to express concerns, gain support, and discuss your goals. You will need to choose the right communication style for the person you're speaking to, actively listen to their perspective, and convey your message with influence to make an impact.
Self-Care
Self-care is a critical component of almost every growth area in life. When you're advocating for yourself, it can be mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing, especially when you're dealing with a challenging situation. You need to prioritize your well-being and regularly practice self-care. When you prioritize your self-care, you can maintain your confidence, energy, and resilience, which sets you up to effectively advocate for yourself.
Knowledge
If knowledge is power, it's a necessity of self-advocacy. Knowledge encompasses a lot of different things, but in terms of self-advocacy, it's about knowing your rights, understanding your options, and getting to grips with available resources. When you're informed, you're empowered, and when you have knowledge, you are prepared to self-advocate.
Benefits of Practicing Self-Advocacy
If you go along with what everyone else says and does, you are not speaking up about your needs. It can be easier to just go along, but you’re not keeping your own best interests in mind. As a woman if you continue down that path, you will lose your independence.
When a woman practices self-advocacy, you are making the decision to place value on your own needs, rights, and preferences, regardless of whether or not other people approve.
Self-advocacy is a skill. And, like any skill, it needs to be practiced daily. With self-advocacy, you can effectively assert your desires, needs, and rights with confidence. Embrace your voice and take control of your life with self-advocacy.
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