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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask you to pledge support for the GIRLS MATTER campaign?

71 replies

momb · 09/10/2014 21:27

[http://new.girlguiding.org.uk/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The+Guide+Association&utm_campaign=4811635_Girls+Matter+chaser+email+-+9+Oct+2014&dm_i=C8V,2V4OJ,2SWSA2,ADOV3,1 GIRLSMATTERCAMPAIGN]]

This campaign was born from a survey of girls and young women done by GirlGuidingUK. Please sign up if you agree.
Thank you

OP posts:
WooWooOwl · 09/10/2014 22:42

I have to agree that I'm not a fan of campaigns like this either.

I don't see how it can be about promoting equality when it's targeting one gender only.

Banging on about girls will only alienate boys from it, which doesn't make sense to me as it's generally a male attitude that things like this are trying to change.

FreudiansSlipper · 09/10/2014 22:43

no the campaign is from a feminist perspective to teach children that girls are equal to boys

how many female super heroine's films are there? how many sports women earing the millions of pounds that men who compete at the same level are, how many women mp's, judges? how is fashion for young men sexualised as it is for young women, how many pink lego sets aimed at girls have astronauts, doctors, scientist in the collection?

all this sends a message to children and it is not a good one

FreudiansSlipper · 09/10/2014 22:44

obviously a super heroine is female .....

MaudantWit · 09/10/2014 22:46

Sadly, yes, Bifauxnen!

Original poster
momb · 09/10/2014 22:48

Of course boys matter. The petition is very specific where the issues pushed are for all children compared to where girls and young women are disadvantaged. Read the whole list before you decide: please don't read the tagline and brush this off.

Girlguiding is a huge organisation for girls and therefore approaches this from a female-centric viewpoint of course, based on feedback from its female members, but the list of requests is very balanced based on what these girls and young women feel is necessary for equality for all: male and female.

My Brownies felt that everyone would be better off if no-one had sexual images thrust at them: including page 3 newspapers and the diet coke advert. I'm really pleased to see that this kind of feedback has been reflected so clearly in the petition. Not just girls: all children.
This has been a really far reaching and thoughtful campaign. Please, please, read the whole petition and don't be put off by the fact that it comes from a group of girls and young women.

OP posts:
Thebodyloveschocolateandwine · 09/10/2014 22:49

No I don't agree at all.

I have boys and girls and they all matter.

Silly stereotyping.

Sorry you did ask.

MmeLindor · 09/10/2014 22:55

The campaign isn't Boys Don't Matter and its disingenuous to imply that is the meaning or aim.

Boys are just as affected by inequality as girls, even if it doesn't appear so at first glance.

For every girl who is told she can't play football, there is a boy who is told he can't do ballet.

For every girl who is told she can't be a soldier, there's a boy being teased for crying.

The guides have worked with their members on this - the campaign arose out of the discussions they were having about body image with the girls. Of course it looks professional - they are a nationwide organisation - but it's very much supported by the members I've spoken to about it.

FreudiansSlipper · 09/10/2014 22:57

seems to highlight that girls and young women are not listened to enough

50,000 girls and young women took part in this poll and this is what is important to them but some choose to ignore

really is that listening to what girls and young woman have to say Hmm

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 09/10/2014 23:01

I'm a Brownie leader. I can't see the point of the campaign. Girls in UK have most of the things its calling for already, and anyway, girls don't matter any more than boys. Thinking of writing to HQ.

Permanentlyexhausted · 09/10/2014 23:02

I too have both boys and girls (1 of each) and of course they both matter equally. That is the point of this campaign - to encourage a society where my DD has the same opportunities as my DS.

Permanentlyexhausted · 09/10/2014 23:03

And I'm also a Brownie leader.

PetulaGordino · 09/10/2014 23:04

Agree with mmelindor

Dragonlette · 09/10/2014 23:14

I can't see how girls in the uk have most of the things it's calling for. Some girls in the uk have a lot of the things the campaign is calling for, but nowhere near all of them.

Some schools have zero tolerance on sexual bullying, others are ineffectual at best.

Women are incredibly under-represented in politics at any level.

Gender inequality is never mentioned in SRE in many, many schools, and the other things mentioned like consent and staying safe are often approached in a less than ideal way, depending on the school and the teacher delivering the lessons.

I was a guide leader for many years and I think some of my guides would have come up with quite a few of those things listed as being important to them if a discussion was started about what they felt affected them as girls. Possibly not in quite such polished language, but the concepts would be there.

Original poster
momb · 09/10/2014 23:16

sign, please sign. I was really so shocked by the responses I got from my aged 7-10 Brownies on how they feel girls are perceived/how unempowered they feel in the wider world.

OP posts:
PuffinsAreFicticious · 09/10/2014 23:16

Did I step into a time machine back to the 1950s?

It's girls matter, not boys don't matter.

Those of you who have daughters and are saying that this doesn't matter.... I really hope for their sakes that it doesn't come to matter for them, because I suspect their answer would be, 'well, your brother has it heard too'

I despair of you lot and your blinkered and thoroughly stupid world view.

Dragonlette · 09/10/2014 23:18

I've signed already btw.

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 09/10/2014 23:21

I don't like the way Girl guiding is becoming political. Its not what Guiding is traditionally about, and I don't like the way our new(ish) chief exec is taking the Guiding Association. I know that's what she was hired to do - to bring Guiding into the 21st century, but you can do that without making it political.
Nationally there are thousands and thousands of girls on waiting lists, waiting to join. We cant be doing that badly that we need to change so much.

RufusTheReindeer · 09/10/2014 23:26

I never understand negative comments on this sort of thread, I always think well everyone will be agreeing but nope

Where's that picture with the people on boxes...that's always a good one!!

MmeLindor · 09/10/2014 23:26

Even if all girls in UK had this amazing equality that we dream of - would it be ok to just stop there? Shouldn't we encourage our kids to look beyond their comfortable and frankly rather privileged lives to help others?

The demands being made are hardly radical, but they have not been achieved here. Not by a long shot.

To take just one example - there are more male MPs in Hoc right now than there have been female MPs. Ever.

Bifauxnen · 09/10/2014 23:31

This one Rufus?

to ask you to pledge support for the GIRLS MATTER campaign?
MaudantWit · 09/10/2014 23:35

That's great. I've never seen it before.

FuckOffFerret · 09/10/2014 23:38

OP but what bout the men ?? It's so hard to be a male in this world! They don't get equal pay they get more they don't get equal time in politics they get far more they don't get equal time in media they gets loads more.

FuckOffFerret · 09/10/2014 23:41

Oh and yes, I have a son and I have a daughter and NO I'm not worried that my boy will suffer the same boy confidence issues or that porn will objectify him. These are worries I have for my daughter.

Permanentlyexhausted · 09/10/2014 23:42

Middleaged It isn't to do with changing the organisation; it's about fighting for what our members feel is important to them. Have you ever wondered why there are so many girls on waiting lists? Perhaps it's because Girlguiding is one of the very few places where they can feel safe? Where they can just be girls without the sexual harassment?

FuckOffFerret · 09/10/2014 23:42

Sounds like feminists using children (girls) to further their own campaign

Or maybe feminists think improving the world for women and girls is good for girls? Is this hard to grasp really? No one is that thick right?