Clarification: THE GIRL GUIDES
When I said YES (I was asked to answer yes, or no)
I mean: absolutely it is in the right of the Girl Guides Association (GGA), and their individual leaders to choose to have a single sex (or mixed sex) residential or camping weekend,.
I do and will support the rights of the GGA to determine what that means in any set of circumstances, but
I would advise them that it should be done only in consultation with the parents of the girls attending an event, and the girls themselves. where they are capable of comment
(i.e. Brownies would probably be too young to make serious comment, but they may well have something to say which should be heard, and may be considered.)
It is up to the GGA, in discussion with
• regions, districts and troops, AND
• in consultation with parents,
• and girls in some circumstances,
to determine what single sex means, and if that definition might vary in different circumstances. And if they would prefer instead a mixed sex event.
Guiding is a voluntary world-wide Association. It has had to deal with many complex cultural questions in different countries and differing cultural groupings.
At times, of course, it had a mixed record on how it has managed those questions, but it is acknowledged that the safeguarding of the children is rightfully their paramount and primary concern.
As UK law is, in the context of discussing Girl Guide activities, Single – sex can be any one of three things (I explain what I mean when I am using single sex iin my next post). Single sex may include:
- all children categorised as girls on the original birth certificate, without any amendments, or
- children who are now categorised as girls on the birth certificate, including those where the birth certificate has been amended because of a 'mistake', or a 'change' (see the p.s below), or
- children (in the GG) who are 'girl identified'.
I don’t believe I have the right to determine what the answers are for the GGA, but my view is that the law does give the GGA those 3 possibilities.
With participation in decision making, and appropriate information (e.g. if a trans identified child is attending a troop, that should form part of the discussion, but other parents should not be given the identity of that child),
the parents of girl guides might then choose not to send a child to a (1) or a (2) or a (3) event, just as some parents might choose not to send a child to an event where children will take part in activities such as hill walking without adult supervision.
I would advise the Girl Guides (as I did in their consultation) that they have a responsibility to all girl guides, and in a plural society, this includes acknowledging that some parents might limit their child's participation in some aspects of Guiding, in some circumstances. for example: some parents might choose not to let their children participate in church parade.
When I was a guide, and then later as a Scout leader, the question of participation in activities without adult supervision was a big issue for both associations.
In the 1980s, it was particularly a matter for discussion, as falling numbers had meant both Associations giving a serious consideration as to taking on the ‘supervising organisation’ role for the Duke of Edinburgh’s award,. This would mean children/teenagers taking part in activities which were largely unsupervised such as hillwalking and camping, which are a key element of the award, unless the child has a disability.
Activities like Church Parade may not need to be substituted, but I along with others, argued, that activities such as hill walking and camping are so much part of the Guide experience, and so important for the development of independence for many girls, girls should not be incidentally excluded.
I argued that the Associations should offer an alternative of supervised hill walking and camping, which is indeed what the Associations did determine to do.