In its 105 year history, Girl Guides have provided a safe place for girls to grow, develop and find their voice.
The volunteering organisation operates in 150 countries including Canada, Mexico, Cambodia, the UK, Costa Rica, Australia, USA and South Africa, enriching millions of girls with confidence, informing them of their rights, and helping them to see themselves as future leaders.
The organisation has recently publicised their revamped skills programmes, marking a huge transformation for the global movement.
The brand-new badges that will be available to Girl Guides have been developed around specific themes, from Skills for my Future, Have Adventures and Know Myself to Express Myself and Take Action, and volunteers can look forward to learning financial management, upcycling, mindfulness, vlogging, boxing and even mixology!
Did you notice any positive changes in your child after they took up an outdoor activity? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter.
- Also see: Dear feminists, my girls won't be damsels in distress, but they can be princesses if they want to be
Considering previously taught "female skills" like making a cup of tea and how to fold a napkin, these badges show how far Girl Guides has come.
Rooted in an act of rebellion, the organisation began when a huge number of girls crashed a Boy Scout Rally in the UK and demanded that they be recognised as Girls Scouts, and it is this attitude of defiance that is still a big part of the movement today, teaching girls to reach beyond limiting gender norms and expectations.
- Also see: Turning lemons into lemonade and literally making waves: 10 inspiring kids to make your day
SA's Girl Guides
In South Africa, Girl Guides was formed in 1910 and today has almost 19 000 members.
Parent24 spoke with Noma Saku, board member of Girl Guides South Africa and learned that the local branch has done "quite a lot of modernisation work similar to the UK, but most likely won't have the same badges.
"We are reviewing badges but the core of our work is to make sure that we are relevant to the South African girl and what she needs," she said.
Current Girl Guides South Africa programmes cover body confidence, the environment and water, and violence against women.
"We dovetail programmes to issues that affect SA girls."
Did you notice any positive changes in your child after they took up an outdoor activity? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter.
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