Girls Matter
Girls in guiding spoke out at the 2015 General Election, and your voices have made real change happen
We launched Girls Matter back in 2015 - see what you've achieved together since then.
Girls Matter was our campaign during the 2015 General Election, to call for the next government to help change and improve girls' and young women's lives. Since then, a lot has happened, and girls and young women can take credit for some amazing achievements.
The bravery of your voices speaking out on often hidden or trivialised issues has meant that decision-makers have had to sit up, listen and take action.
The 8 changes you called for - and the difference you've made
Following a consultation with over 2,400 Girlguiding young members, the national advocate panel defined the top 8 calls for change from everyone's views.
In a nutshell, your campaigning has meant:
- Decision-makers are listening to girls' and young women's voices more than ever before.
- The law has changed twice: to make Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) compulsory in England, and to make sure access to online pornography more tightly controlled in the UK.
- Gender equality is prominently featured in the global Sustainable Development Goals.
- Sexual harassment at school has become a headline issue, with a government action plan in place for England to stamp it out.
Feel proud. This is amazing progress.
Click on each call to read more about how your voices have won all this change.
Promise to regularly consult girls and young women from all backgrounds and ensure their views are considered in policy decisions that affect their lives.
Success. We've seen a steep change on this. Girls' voices have made a big impact on big issues. But we won't stop here - we'll keep on making sure that your voices and views get heard on the things that matter most to you now and in the future.
Promise to introduce guidance that all schools must use to tackle this issue.
Wow! Success. In 2015 we didn't think the political and media debate on this issue would have transformed as much as it has. By sharing your experiences and being passionate about equality and freedom from harassment at school, you've made this important subject headline news over and over again.
Girls' voices have featured in TV and radio shows on this topic since we launched Girls Matter. There's been a Westminster parliamentary inquiry, the advocates' petition campaign, and a government response with a list of actions they're taking to stamp this out in schools in England and Wales. And we'll keep up the pressure so real action is taken across the UK.
Promise to make Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) compulsory and urge schools to include lessons on body confidence and gender equality.
Updated guidance on PHSE came into effect in 2020, and certain components of PHSE (including Sex and Relationship Education – see below) are now compulsory for all schools in England. You've been passionate and tireless in campaigning for PSHE and we'll be keeping up the pressure!
Promise that the Department for International Development will focus on equality for girls, including advocating for girls' rights to be central to the sustainable development agenda.
Success. Thousands of girls and women and the organisations that work with them made sure our government took the gender equality message to the table. Sustainable Development Goal 5 now reads, 'Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'.
Promise to bring print and online media in line with the principles of the broadcast watershed.
Success. We've still got a long way to go but there's been real progress on this issue since the campaign began.
After a lot of consultation and debate that we made sure girls were a part of, a new law was passed to make pornography websites ensure viewers are aged over 18 before they can access the content. This is referred to as age verification, and tackles an important element of a large issue - showing that decision-makers are really taking this call seriously.
We believe that compulsory Sex and Relationship Education (another win) will also help to equip children and young people with skills and resilience to help keep themselves safe online.
Promise to establish a girls' and young women' s advisory panel to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
To make real change in how women are represented in the media, we'll be turning our attention to media outlets themselves and calling on them to listen to girls and end media sexism.
Promise to make Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) compulsory in all schools and update the curriculum to include healthy relationships, sexual consent, online safety, violence against women and girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender relationships.
Another wow! Success. You've made all the difference in this campaign to make SRE compulsory.
This is a fantastic campaign win that really shows the power of young people's voices. In 2020, the law came into effect that from ALL schools in England have to teach Relationships and Sex Education.
Promise to set a target for an increased number of female MPs in your party by the next General Election and do what it takes to meet it, no excuses.
There’s still some way to go to achieve true equality, but representation for women in parliament is higher than ever. As of 2025, women currently make up 40% of MPs in the House of Commons.
What's next?
Since the launch of Girls Matter, you've changed laws and attitudes that we believe will help transform girls' and young women's lives for the better. And that is hugely inspiring.
From talking to girls and seeing the evidence from our annual Girls' Attitudes Survey, we know we still have a way to go to make Britain a fair and equal place for all girls and young women.
So we'll keep working on these key issues to make sure the gains we've made through Girls Matter translate into improving girls' real, everyday experiences. And we'll be seeking your views again for how we can continue to tackle the top challenges you and your peers can face.
