Becoming a Girls and
Young Women-Led Movement
| In the introduction of this Framework, it is noted that ‘a Movement led by girls and young women is a Movement where there is meaningful participation of girls and young women’. This meaningful participation can be realised through intergenerational leadership that creates spaces for participation across the Movement. |
This Framework is something for MOs and the WAGGGS Global Team to use and apply in a way that is relevant for their context. This journey will be different for each MO and different parts of the WAGGGS Global Team but no matter what – we’re all in this together.
Mainstreaming Meaningful Youth Participation
Becoming a girls and young women-led Movement means mainstreaming meaningful youth participation across all areas of our work, from local to national to global level. This will look different for each local group, Member Organisation and Region. When we talk about mainstreaming, we mean looking at all areas of our work and determining how they both enable and incorporate meaningful youth participation.
Programme | |
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How are girls and young women included in the designing and decision-making of their own Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting programme? For example, adult group leaders ask young people what activities they would like to do in their meetings. | How do programmes build capacity and encourage participation of girls and young women? For example, through learning by doing young people feel able to make mistakes and learn from them. |
Operations | |
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How are HR and finance systems set up in enable participation of girls and young women? For example, where appropriate adverts for volunteer roles focus on interest and enthusiasm over years of experience so young people feel able to apply. Or the organisation’s expense claim process is designed in collaboration with young people. | How do girls and young women inform decisions related to HR and finance? For example, when interviewing for a role, a ‘young people interview’ is part of the process for young people to give their input. Another example could be a youth-led grants panel, where young people decide how money is allocated. |
Governance | |
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How are girls and young women a part of the governance of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Organisations? For example, an organisation’s board includes young people as sitting members with voting power. | How are the needs and wants of girls and young women informing decision-making around the organisation and its direction? For example, a working group developing the next organisational strategy includes young people who play an active role in informing, writing and reviewing it. |
External Advocacy/Relations | |
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How are girls and young women able to represent the organisation and its needs? For example, they have the opportunity to talk directly to the government ministry about issues that affect girls and young women in the organisation. | How is the organisation representing the needs of girls and young women? For example, a survey asking girls and young women what impacts them and what they want to see more of informs how the organisation externally represents and talks about these needs. |
Monitoring & Evaluation | |
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How are girls and young women involved in reporting on the impact activities have had on them? For example, at the end of an activity or project young people get to decide how they share their experience. | How is the organisation sharing the impact of meaningful youth participation? For example, articulating and evidencing why youth participation is important for the success of the organisation. |
Communications | |
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How are girls and young women involved in creating and designing communications? For example, an organisation runs a communications campaign that young people decide the focus of and create the content for, whilst adults support by checking the content and posting it on the appropriate channels. | How are organisational communications designed to support the participation of girls and young women? For example, plain, simple language and explanations of jargon or specialised terminology is standard practice in writing communications. |
