Delaware Congressional Delegation plays host to dozens of Girl Scouts

Celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting, more than two dozen Girl Scouts, primarily from Delaware, met with Delaware’s Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill this week to celebrate the milestone and to launch a new initiative.

The Girl Scouts, in partnership with GFK Roper, commissioned a study that suggests girls are desperate for accessible leadership role models to emulate. As a result, the scouts are kicking off ToGetHerThere – a major advocacy and fundraising campaign dedicated to addressing girls’ leadership issues in the country.

“The 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts is the right moment for us to commit to making a measurable impact on this generation of girls,” the Delaware Delegation said. “Together, we will break down the barriers that prevent girls from leading by strengthening leadership programs through organizations like the Girl Scouts. When parents, teachers, and community leaders in Delaware – and across our country – ensure that girls have the resources they need to achieve their leadership potential, we not only help our girls, we improve our whole society.”

Survey results

The majority of girls surveyed said they have never, or almost never, had successful women speak to their schools, or offer office visits
Almost 3 out of 5 girls think it is rare for a woman to be promoted to a top leadership role
81 percent of 13 to 17-year-old girls believe the workplace could do a better job of meeting the needs of their female workers

ToGetHerThere is a response to unacceptable obstacles that affect today’s girls.  A comprehensive new research study called, “ToGetHerThere: Girls’ Insights about Leadership,” commissioned by Girl Scouts in partnership with GFK Roper, suggests that girls are desperate for accessible leadership role models to emulate, with the majority of them saying they have never, or almost never, had successful women speak to their school or class, or offer “girls like themselves” visits to their workplace.  Additionally, the study reveals that while girls are still generally optimistic about their futures, close to three out of five girls think that while a woman can rise up in a company, she will only rarely be put in the very top leadership role.  Additionally, 81 percent of 13- to 17-year-old girls believe the workplace could do a better job of meeting the needs of their female workers. “The 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts is the right moment for us to commit to making a measurable impact on this generation of girls,” the Delaware Delegation said. “Together, we will break down the barriers that prevent girls from leading by strengthening leadership programs through organizations like the Girl Scouts. When parents, teachers, and community leaders in Delaware – and across our country – ensure that girls have the resources they need to achieve their leadership potential, we not only help our girls, we improve our whole society.”

 

Sens. Carper and Coons and Rep. Carney encourage the public to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting by visiting ToGetHerThere.org, and joining the initiative to inspire girls by:

Becoming informed, learning about the need to solve this issue for girls today, and how a successful female leader positively impacts the world around her.

 

Speaking up for supportive environments in local communities, such as advocating for healthy media images, helping identify effective mentors, increasing girls’ involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and joining the fight against bullying.

 

Investing in girls to invest in the future.