For the publication of DSW’s 2017 Annual Report, we wanted to profile some of the new faces that have started work at the organisation in the last year! Introducing Andreas Huebers!
My name is Andreas Hübers and I joined DSW in May 2016 as head of Advocacy and head of Berlin Office.
Before joining DSW I was working as Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager as well as “Policy Director Global Health” for the campaign organization ONE. I have now been working in advocacy for development and public health for 10 years. Much of my work concentrated on Germany, but I also carried out political work in Brussels and Africa. I studied international Relations and already during my studies I traveled and worked in Eastern and Southern Africa. With my interest and experience in the region, I spent my first years after university working for German organization in South Africa.
In my past employments I have always appreciated the highly effective and professional advocacy work of DSW. Several times I partnered with DSW advocates. Therefore, when I started to look around for new professional challenges, DSW was a natural place to start for me, and it luckily worked out.
Working for DSW is a very interesting and rewarding experience for me: I am leading the international advocacy efforts of DSW. Focusing on my tasks in DSW is something I have been doing for many years and that nevertheless is refreshingly new for me. New because the partners and friends in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights are not necessarily the same that work on public health. And new because DSW is closely connecting the programmatic work with its advocacy. For example we are training young women and men that have been active at our Youth Clubs as advocates, demanding more investment in youth friendly health services. This is a very effective approach that has led to very tangible policy changes.
Moving forward , I would like to bring the advocacy in Brussels, Germany, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania closer together. Because despite very different political and cultural contexts we will achieve more when we link up our efforts. I am sure that with the great spirit, dedication and professionalism of the colleagues at DSW, we can convince many politicians and achieve better policies for young women, and girls and boys.
