Once a Girl Guide...

I could give a million and one reasons as to why I would like to be a Girlguiding Advocate but I think they can be summed up quite nicely in three:

1. To spread the word about the word about the important work Girlguiding does.

The four central parts of Girlguiding are:

We are for all girls.
We give girls their own space.
We give girls a voice.
We change as the lives of girls change.

Every time I put on my uniform to attend a Girlguiding event, I feel proud. Proud that I am making a difference. Girlguiding is a fantastic organisation and it isn't like other clubs, it encourages all of its members to be the best they can and it make the world better for themselves and others. The benefits of the work Girlguiding does isn't just felt by its members but by the wider community. Whether that's encouraging girls to try new challenges, campaigning for an end to Page 3 or researching what girls today really think and feel through the Girls' Attitudes Surveys. Girlguiding makes a difference and I would loved to be involved in making that difference and sharing what we do with more people.

2. To shape the future of the organisation that has shaped me.

I can be quite indecisive but I surprised myself when at 15 I decided I wanted to be a teacher and haven't changed my mind since. However, I only knew at 15 that I wanted to be a teacher because of guiding; it was working as a young leader and thoroughly enjoying planning activities for my Rainbows, watching them enjoy these activities and learn something new that I realised I wanted to do this every day. Teaching therefore seemed an obvious choice. This year as I was doing the rounds of interviews for PGCE applications, every interviewer asked me why I wanted to teach and I always received a positive response when I said because of Girlguiding. In fact one interviewer told me that she herself had been a guide and got her Queen's Guide Award. People recognise the skills that you gain from being involved in Girlguiding. I know I am a better, more confident young woman because of guiding and now I would like to give back. I would like to be a part of ensuring that Girlguiding stays relevant to girls and young women today and in the future so that they can benefit as I have.

3. To encourage others to join in the fun!

People only dedicate the amount of time they do to Girlguiding because they enjoy it. Whether that's going to Big Gig and seeing your favourite artists, gaining a badge or seeing the girls' happy faces when they leave the meeting every week. Girlguiding is FUN! Being an Advocate gives you the opportunity to share that fun with many more people!

The 2013 Girls' Attitude Survey really made me stop and think.

75% of girls and young women feel that sexism is so widespread in our society today that it affects most areas of their lives.

87% of girls aged 11 to 21 think that women are judged more on their appearance than on their ability.

60% of girls aged 11 to 21 have had comments shouted at them about their appearance at school.

62% of girls aged 11 to 21 (rising to 76% of 16-21 year olds) have been shouted or whistled at in the street about their appearance.

Seven out of ten girls aged 13 and over report further experiences of sexual harassment at school or college. Including sexual jokes or taunts, unwanted sexual attention and touching.

Those facts shocked me, but then I took a step back and thought about it, because the reality is they don't actually shock me as much as they should. They don't shock me because it has happened to me. We used to walk home from the bus stop after school, in our uniform and get honked at by passing cars or teenage boys in the park would shout lewd comments at us. I was walking down a hallway at school when I was 13 and a boy pinched my bottom. I didn't say anything or do anything. I thought it was just one of those things that happens as you get older, you just ignored it and got on with what you were doing. You certainly never shouted anything back or made a fuss because it was just "some idiot in a passing car" or "they didn't mean anything by it", "you should take it as a compliment". Besides you don't know what they might do next, it was better, it was safer to stare straight ahead and just keep walking.

Girls and young women have the right to feel safe wherever they are, whatever time of day it is, whether they are in a group or by themselves.Girlguiding has done a tremendous amount of work in recent years campaigning on behalf of young women for honesty over airbrushing (Tell us the Truth - Girlguiding For Real Images), encouraging them to Be Body Confident and backing the No More Page 3 Campaign. Girlguiding is in my opinion, as Julie Bentley the Chief Executive stated, "the ultimate feminist organisation". With over 550,000 members when Girlguiding decides it wants to change something people sit up and listen. Therefore I would encourage Girlguiding Advocates to support organisations like the Everyday Sexism Project and Hollaback.

The Everyday Sexism Project seeks to

take a step towards gender equality, by proving wrong those who tell women that they can’t complain because we are equal. It is a place to record stories of sexism faced on a daily basis, by ordinary women, in ordinary places.

Hollaback looks specifically at working to end street harassment which they define as

a form of sexual harassment that takes place in public spaces... that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces... it reinforces the ubiquitous sexual objectification of these groups in everyday life.

• Breaking the silence - getting  people to document incidents of street harassment
• Inspiring international leadership - training people around the world to use their skills to build a grassroots movement focused on ending street harassment
• Shifting public opinion - through educational workshops and social media
• Engaging elected officials and policymakers - to address street harassment

These all fit in to what Girlguiding is and aims to do:

We build girls' confidence and raise their aspirations. We give them the chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good.