Relating to girls and young women
It's important to understand the day-to-day experiences of the girls and young women in your unit
Leading girls means taking time to learn about the challenges and opportunities that they face
Your programme should include time for young members to talk about their interests and their experiences - and time for you to listen to what they tell you.
Get informed
- Read about the latest Girls' Attitudes Survey and ask the girls what they think.
- Browse magazines and websites targeted at the age group you work with.
- Keep up to date with issues in the news and help the girls to reflect on them.
Show you're interested
- Show interest in their lives outside guiding – school, home, other hobbies. What pressures do they experience?
- Book a Peer Educator to run a session with your unit so they can talk about issues relevant to girls and young women in a structured way.
Be a good listener
- Ask each young member what's important to her, and encourage her to share with the group.
- Help girls to reflect after a big event or an activity they have planned together.
We listen to girls
Every year, we ask girls and young women what they think about key issues that affect them - and they aren't shy to tell us. Explore their points of view in our report for 2016.
