| Girls in Government By: Gesina Phillips Politics have traditionally been a man’s world. Today, though, there are many organizations that work to interest girls in government policy and procedure and help them to become strong leaders. Organizations like Girls in Government, the Girl Scouts, and state initiatives such as the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women are among those active today that seek to create a generation of politically- minded female leaders for the future, starting today. Girls in Government is an organization that works to interest and involve girls in politics through a variety of programs that build leadership skills. Even today, men hold the majority of government offices (according to the organization’s website, of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives, only 70 are held by women). Girls in Government seeks to combat this discrepancy by encouraging girls to vote and to become the leaders of tomorrow, today. The organization’s programming encourages girls to seek leadership roles in school and in their communities, while fostering their development as responsible and proactive citizens. During the election year, Girls in Government organized voter registration drives and began a project entitled “If I Were President…” that included responses from girls across the country. Other projects include distributing materials about effective leadership skills and organizing leadership programs. When someone mentions the Girl Scouts, politics are likely not the first thing that comes to mind. However, the Girl Scouts have been for a long time a source of leadership training for their young members. Today, more targeted programs allow Girl Scouts to experience the political process. Carmel Quinn is the Director of Advocacy for the Girl Scouts in Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as the facilitator of the Girls Rock the Capitol internship program and the coordinator of many other Girl Scout initiatives. About involving girls in politics, she says: “Our approach has always been to make government accessible to girls and to let them feel their impact.” Practically speaking, this means conducting workshops on public speaking and current issues affecting young women, as well as organizing events to allow girls to observe the inner workings of government. One example of such an event was the first-ever Girls at the State House Day, which took place in April. According to Sylvia Gale, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women (which co-hosted the event with the Women’s Lobby), “the theme for the day was celebration and honoring our successes, and inspiring our future female leaders.” Thirty-three Girl Scouts were invited to participate in the program. According to Carmel, her office was “overwhelmed with registrations” for the spots! New Hampshire girls were interested in this opportunity and jumped at the chance to see government in action. At the program, the girls were greeted by the governor, and then by the Senate President and House Speaker, both women; they also had the opportunity to meet and speak to many female legislators and staff members. Then, the girls were given a tour of the State House, and sat in both the House of Representatives and the Senate Chambers. They later attended a live performance of “Susan B. Anthony, the Invincible!” According to Sylvia, the participants were “engaged and excited, and thrilled to have been able to be ‘up close and personal’ with so many strong and powerful ‘women in charge.’” Allowing women to take charge is exactly the mission of these organizations. They do not underestimate the potential of girls and young women, and choose to train them as leaders for tomorrow’s world. http://www.girlsingovernment.org |
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