Girl Guides Australia
EMPOWERING
GIRLS AND
WOMEN
EMPOWERING HUMANITY
Empowering Girls and Women
- Empowering Humanity
A STATEMENT ON PRIORITIES AND ACTION AREAS FOR
GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM AUSTRALIAN GIRL GUIDING
WHO ARE GIRL GUIDES?
Girl Guides Australia is building upon a 100 year tradition of
helping to develop a brighter and better world around us.
Girl Guides Australia is the peak organisation for girls and young
women in Australia and empowers girls and young women to
become confident, self-respecting, responsible community
members. Girl Guiding provides opportunities to grow, learn
and have fun in relevant and meaningful ways. We provide a
foundation for girls and young women to be their best and a
space where they can be themselves, grow and harness their
individual potential to make a difference in their community both
locally and globally. We foster the growth of personal resilience
and integrity based on our Guiding values of respect and
collaboration and in the process of all this, we build leaders.
PRIORITY AREAS FOR ACTION:
As we look forward to the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action, Australian Girl Guiding
has taken the time to consider its vision, priorities and areas for
action. We are also reflecting on what we are doing to make a
difference and be part of the solution.
As part of the global Girl Guide movement, we know that placing
a priority on girls and young women is central to any future
agenda for action. Our vision is a world in which girls and young
women are free from the threat of violence and have equitable
access to education, income and full enjoyment of their human
rights.
To realise this, our priority areas for action are:
Violence against Girls and Women
Addressing violence against women and girls systemically.
The definition provided by the UN states that violence against
women is “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or
is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or
arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or
private life” (United Nations, 1993).
We instil in our members a desire to take action on issues which
are important to them. We make a space where they can learn
how to take action in their community. Our Girl Guides become
change makers in areas of society where they want to make a
difference. They take the lead.
As a founding member of the World Association of Girl Guides
and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) we are proudly a part of a worldwide
movement of some 10 million members in 146 Countries. As part
of that movement, we provide non-formal education for girls and
young women to develop leadership and life skills through selfdevelopment, challenge and adventure. We encourage teamwork,
help girls to grow in confidence and inspire girls from as young as
five to speak up and be heard. Our focus is on empowering girls
and young women and we encourage all of them to reach their
potential, whatever their abilities or background. Our dedicated
volunteers Australia-wide make Guiding happen and inspire
girls and young women to be their best in a non-competitive
environment. We provide leadership training and support for
our volunteers to gain a range of skills which they can transfer to
other areas of life.
The Human Rights of Girls and Women
Creating better policies to address gender based
discrimination, improve equity in employment (including
improving parity of occupations and roles typically
undertaken by women), and ensure equitable access to health
services, education (formal and non-formal) & training and
employment opportunities. Creating meaningful strategies to
increase access for women to decision-making processes and
opportunities to apply for positions of power.
The Girl Child
Addressing discrimination that is unique to the girl child.
The intersectionality of issues that come together in the girl
child is of significant concern to the Australian Girl Guides.
These issues present themselves at their most extreme in
forced child-marriage, inequitable access to health services,
education and employment, and female genital mutilation
(FGM). Policies need to acknowledge the unique journey of the
girl-child through life and positively impact on the unstated
social bias that prevents the realisation and enjoyment of their
full potential and access to human rights. This bias includes
media stereotypes which present powerful role models to
influence girls’ social, sexual and economic sense of self and
addressing invisible forms of violence.
Page 2 Girl Guides Australia
WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT:
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Over 3 million girls a year still suffer the trauma and longterm consequences of FGM. (World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts, 2014)
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More than 60 million girls worldwide are child brides,
married before the age of 18. (World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts, 2014)
That in Australia:
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One woman dies every week from domestic violence (White
Ribbon Australia, 2013). 36% of people experience violence
reporting that the violence was witnessed by children in
their care (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2014)
and in 39% of hospitalised cases for assault against young
people, the perpetrator was a parent, carer or other family
member (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012).
15% of females aged 8 to 18 years report being bullied at
least once a week. (Australian Human Rights Commission,
2014)
70% of girls in Australia have body dissatisfaction (National
Eating Disorders Collaboration, 2014) and 20% of females
in Australia have an undiagnosed eating disorder (Eating
Disorders Victoria, 2013).
The gender pay gap in May 2014 was 18.2% and the
difference between those pay rates is increasing. (Workplace
Gender Equality Agency, 2014). The gender pay gap for
average weekly earnings is 21.2% (Workplace Gender
Equality Agency, 2014).
1 out of 5 girls and boys between the ages of 12-14 years of
age, have experienced violence with 55% of girls who had
experienced threats or actual violence reporting fear or
physical injury, compared to 22% of boys (Sety, 2012).
14% of young women across all age groups reported
experience of sexual assault or rape, compared to 3% of
young men, with young women who had experienced
violence believing it was because they chose the wrong
partner (Sety, 2012).
That across the world:
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6 out of 10 women will be subject to violence or abuse in
their lifetime. ( National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2010)
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Domestic violence is the single biggest cause of injury, death
and illness to girls and women aged between 15 and 44.
(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, 2015)
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60 million girls are sexually assaulted at or on their way to
school each year. (United National Regional Information
Centre for Western Europe, 2014)
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Girls and women constitute 80 per cent of the estimated
800,000 people trafficked annually, with the majority
trafficked for sexual exploitation. (United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, 2012)
WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF:
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Greater support for and openness to talk about Gender
Based Violence – Australia has high profile female and male
champions
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Reporting requirements on companies on salary equity and
leadership equity
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Male Champions of Change
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Changes in law that make parental leave more equitable
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Emerging dialogue on equitable sharing of parenting, home
and work life across genders
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High levels of attainment and participation in education by
girls and women in Australia (Workplace Gender Equality
Agency, 2014)
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Increased numbers of women in leadership positions who
provide girls with role models for their future
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Increasing attention of policy and practice to reducing
violence against women and children, led by the National
Action Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their
Children (2010-2022)
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN:
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Inclusion of gender based impact statements in government
policies at local, state and federal level
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Development of measures of policy success that focus on
both society and the economy
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Creation of a standalone Goal on Gender Equality and
Empowerment of Girls and Women for the Post 2015
development agenda which addresses all dimensions and
underlying structural causes of gender inequality with
comprehensive indicators including:
• Elimination of violence
• Equality of access to decision making at all levels
including youth participation
• Economic empowerment
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Recognition that girls and young women are central to
the development and delivery of all policies and goals
for gender equality, economic and social and political
empowerment and elimination of violence
Empowering Girls and Women Page 3

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Investment in girls’ leadership potential. Empowering
them to be leaders and innovators of the new development
framework.
ʞʞ Recognising and addressing prejudices with regard
to women’s work in relation to the “traditional” role of
women as carers, housewives, etc.
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Investment in the key building blocks of:
ʞʞ Creating better holistic policy settings that redress gender
based discrimination
Education
ʞʞ Unequivocal commitment to every girl’s right to a quality
education, with specific attention to closing gender gaps
at all levels of education
ʞʞ Recognition of the role of non-formal education and
life-long learning as critical for empowerment of girls, and
also as contributing to meeting development goals
ʞʞ Investment in human rights and gender equality
education that can start a transformative shift in attitudes
towards the role and standing of girls and women in
society
Social Norms, Practices and Attitudes
ʞʞ Elimination of the deeply-rooted discriminatory social
norms, practices and stereotypes converging on the girl
child that prevent girls and young women from enjoying
the full spectrum of their human rights
ʞʞ Implementation of measures to address attitudes,
behaviour change and fair portrayal of girls and women
ʞʞ Allocation of dedicated and sufficient resources to ensure
sustainable long-term support for research and data
collection on violence against girls and women
ʞʞ Creating better industry policy that includes reference
to social policy for better community and economic
outcomes
WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT AT GIRL
GUIDES!
Girl Guides Australia puts girls and young women in the lead
by developing the skills required to implement their own
community development strategies and practices. Our work
makes girls agents of change.
Across Australia, Girl Guides are skilled at delivering non-formal
education at the core of which is the empowerment of girls
to understand the way that they can achieve change in their
community. This occurs across our curriculum and programming.
In addition to our day to day program we are:
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Addressing and improving each girl’s image of her body
and building resilience by rolling out Free Being Me - a fun,
interactive program which builds body confidence and selfesteem
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Working with colleagues across the world to roll out a
non-formal education program, Voices Against Violence, to
support girls, young women, boys and young men to identify
different forms of violence, understand their rights and to
gain skills in advocacy and leadership to enable them to
claim these rights and assist in ending violence against girls
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Providing leadership opportunities for girls and young
women – from practising leadership at their local Unit to
heading off to the UN to be part of the WAGGGS delegation
at the Commission for the Status of Women. We provide the
pathways to learn and practise leadership
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Continued advocacy to raise awareness regarding issues
that affect girls and young women both in Australia and
internationally
ʞʞ Identification of multi-sectorial strategies to redress these
issues holistically including:
ʞʞ Strengthening the implementation of legal and policy
frameworks and accountability
ʞʞ Implementing strategies for improved corporate social
responsibility including monitoring organisational
success against standards for improved gender and
violence outcomes
Employment
Girl Guides Australia supports those statements made by our
colleagues in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts that advocate for specific action to redress inequity
faced by girls and women in employment. We hold that lack
of employment opportunities and discrimination on the
basis of gender in the labour market are among the major
obstacles preventing young women from reaching their
fullest potential.
Unemployment/underemployment is identified among the
top three biggest issues girls and young women are facing
today. We urge our Government to take ongoing action on:
ʞʞ Addressing the gender pay gap
ʞʞ Promoting the more equitable access for women to career
promotion and professional development opportunities,
and leadership roles
Page 4 Girl Guides Australia
This statement for change was put together by the
members of Australian Girl Guiding and is drawn from
a series of Caravans that were supported by the team at
JERA International.
Our sincere thanks are extended to JERA International for
their development of the Caravan, as well as their support
and insight into how girls and young women can raise their
voices to contribute to a better world!
References
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National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010).
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Australian Human Rights Commission. (2014). Violence, Harrassment and Bullying. Retrieved from Children and young people:
https://bullying.humanrights.gov.au/violence-harrassment-and-bullying-children-and-young-people-5
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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2012). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved from A Picture of Australia’s
children 2012: http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737423340
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Eating Disorders Victoria. (2013, November 22). Key Research and Statistics. Retrieved from Overview of eating disorders today:
http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/key-research-a-statistics
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National Eating Disorders Collaboration. (2014, July 4). Eating Disorders in Australia. Retrieved from Eating disorders explained:
http://www.nedc.com.au/eating-disorders-in-australia
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Sety, M. (2012). What do we know about dating violence among Australian adolescents? Thematic Review 4. Retrieved from Australian
Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse: http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Thematic%20Review_4.pdf
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United National Regional Information Centre for Western Europe. (2014, December 17). Key Statistics on violence against women and girls.
Retrieved from Key Statistics on violence against women and girls: https://www.unric.org/en/uk-a-ireland-news-archive/28258-keystatistics-on-violence-against-women-and-girls-
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United Nations. (1993). Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women., (p. Article 1).
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United Nations Entity ofor Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. (2012). Virtual knowledge centre to end violence against
women and girls. Retrieved from Fast Facts: statistics on violence against women and girls: http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/299fast-facts-statistics-on-violence-against-women-and-girls-.html
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White Ribbon Australia. (2013). Fact Sheet 5 - Violence against women: Facts and figures. Sydney: White Ribbon Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/uploads/media/updated_factsheets_Nov_13/Factsheet_5_Facts_and_figures.pdf
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Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (2014, August). Gender pay gap statistics . Retrieved from Public Reports:
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
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Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (2014, February). Gender workplace statistics at a glance. Retrieved from Research and Resources:
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/2014-02-10-Stats_at_a_Glance.pdf
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World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. (2014). The Issues. Retrieved from Stop the Violence: Speak Out for Girls’ Rights:
http://www.wagggs.org/en/take_action/violence/issues
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World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. (2015). The Issues. Retrieved from Stop the Violence: Speak Out for Girls Rights WAGGGS: http://www.wagggs.org/en/take_action/violence/issues
This document should be attributed as:
Girl Guides Australia. (2014). Empowering Girls and Women - Empowering Humanity: A statement on priorities and action areas for girls and
women from Australian Girl Guiding. Available from http://www.girlguidesaustralia.org.au
Empowering Girls and Women Page 5
Our mission is to empower girls and
young women to grow
into confident, self-respecting,
responsible community members.
www.girlguides.org.au