What are girl-focused spaces?
A girl-focused space is a space that is built for and by girls and designed with their specific needs in mind, aiming for gender equality.
Why are girl-focused spaces important?
Girls and young women have expressed5 that having a space designed specifically for them and led by them gives them freedom and safety, meaning they feel less judged. As the world’s largest voluntary Movement dedicated to empowering girls and young women, Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting should be a space free from the bias, gender expectations and judgement girls can find in society, at school, or in their family. Creating girl-focused spaces for youth and adult members is essential to achieving the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Movement’s vision and mission.
A world where all girls can thrive is a better world for everyone, and a world that everyone can actively working towards, regardless of their gender. Boys and men are also influenced by gender norms and expectations, and this is why the statements above are gender neutral. All genders can contribute to building a girl-focused space, and this is relevant and needed in both co-educational and girl-only settings.
What do girl-focused spaces look like?
We use our method and leadership model to create spaces for girls to try new things, to be brave and bold, and to speak out in ways they might not be able to do elsewhere.
We create a space where youth and adult members:
- consciously plan activities that don’t conform to gender norms and we don’t assume what young people enjoy doing or are interested in based on their gender.
- openly discuss and learn about gender equality, reflecting on the influence gender has on our experience of the world.
- champion gender equality in our words and actions, and we challenge gender expectations, norms and stereotypes.
- make sure that everyone knows their value is not attached to their gender – and support them to feel confident to be themselves regardless of gender stereotypes.
- Recognise that systemic gender inequality exists in all societies, and has an impact inside as well as outside the Movement
Across our global Movement, learning experiences take place in both girl-only and co-educational settings. Some of our Member Organisations only admit girls and some are co-educational. What brings us together as the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Movement is that we are first and foremost For Her World: both girls-only and co-educational organisations have a role to play in fulfilling our mission and creating a space for girls in their context and organisational structure.
- In girl-only spaces, girls and young women can feel free to be themselves away from a world of gender inequality, more confident to talk openly about issues that matter to them, take risks, and have adventures, free of judgement.
- In co-educational spaces, members of all genders can learn from each other, how to support each other and challenge gender stereotypes – making sure everyone is on the journey to an equal world together.
Creating an empowering space for girls to grow and learn will look different in a girl-only or co-educational space, and it is important that we take this into account when designing and delivering learning experiences.
Our responsibility as Girl Guide and Girl Scout organisations is to role model what an equal world could and should be. Youth and adult members of all genders can be girl-centred in their reflections, decisions and action. This is especially critical for leaders at organisational level, to enable critical assessment of how far their organisation actively counters the effects of systemic gender inequality in its own systems, processes, structures and attitudes.
We contribute towards our vision, “an equal world where all girls can thrive”, by tackling gender equality in society as a Movement, and tackling the impact of inequality on girls by consciously creating an equitable environment where girls and young women can thrive and take the lead, and a brave girl-centred space where they can explore these issues.
5Listen to Girls Report 2021, WAGGGS
A person’s gender should not impact their rights or access to opportunities. However harmful stereotypes, expectations and assumed norms of how a person should be and act because of their gender continue to exist. Gender also intersects with other characteristics that can negatively affect a person’s chances to thrive and access their human rights in the world. When we talk about gender equality and creating an equal world, we mean a reality where everyone has equitable opportunities and benefits from equitable treatment, resources and support.