In a series of video's titled Portraits in Leadership, Girl Scouts sit down with female members of the United States Congress to learn about their individual leadership journeys and discover what inspired them to take on leadership roles. The interviews gave Girl Scouts an opportunity to ask these accomplished women for advice about the skills and the character girls will need to develop in order to lead our world in the twenty-first century. Seventy percent of the women in the U.S. Senate and 57 percent of the women in the House of Representatives are Girl Scout alumnae; but regardless of whether or not they were Girl Scouts, each congresswoman spoke of the value of having an organization such as Girl Scouts to help develop leadership qualities.
Anyone who works regularly with girls knows
how insightful and determined they can be, and if you’re an alumna, troop
leader, or current Girl Scout, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that
GSUSA’s recent study Running for a Change:
Girls and Politics (Girl Scout
Research Institute, 2014) confirms that their determination and interest
extends into politics: 67 percent of girls express an interest in politics,
with 22 percent describing themselves as “very interested.” An astounding 93
percent of girls have been engaged in some kind of political work, civic
engagement, or leadership activity. And a vast majority (83 percent) of girls
have participated in a cause, campaign, or organization they believe in
strongly.
So the message is clear: girls are politically
savvy and motivated. They see problems in the world and they want to be a part
of the solution. And they believe in standing up, taking action, and working to
make things better in their communities. Therefore, it seems safe to assume
that this interest in political action translates into an interest in seeking
higher office.
Sadly, it doesn’t. In fact, only 37 percent
of girls say they’re interested in becoming a politician one day—and only 9
percent are “very interested.” At some point along the way, something happens
to cause girls to opt out of politics as a career choice.
Girl Scouts is all about helping girls
realize their true leadership potential. Not every girl, of course, will aspire
to political office, and leadership can take many forms. But surely the fact
that over a quarter (28 percent) of girls describe themselves as being at least
“somewhat interested” in becoming a politician should translate into more than
the 18 percent of women we see in Congress today.
Girls want to be engaged. They want to be
involved. They want opportunities to lead. It’s time that we as a society stop
causing them to turn away from politics and start changing our national
dialogue about female politicians, so that girls can bring their talents to
bear in the political arena. Ultimately, politics and governance need to become
another space where girls are inspired and empowered to take action to change
the world.