Girlguiding Scotland’s youth voice
We’re passionate about making sure our members have the opportunity to use their voice and take action on the issues they care about. Find our more about how we’re doing this through Speak Out and our Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Speak Out
Speak Out is a forum for Girlguiding Scotland members to share their views on the issues that matter to them. Speak Out events are a great way to try new activities, gain new skills and to influence the advocacy work in Scotland.
Each year around 20 Girlguiding Scotland members are selected to be Speak Out champions, acting as spokespeople for Girlguiding Scotland and take on a direct role in shaping Girlguiding Scotland’s campaigning and advocacy work.
We’ve put together a list of amazing opportunities past Speak Out champions have had below to give you a better idea of what we’re about…
- Successfully campaigned to make public spaces safer for girls and young women across Scotland. In partnership with Make Space for Girls, the Own Our Zone campaign was launched in 2023. The champions called for a Scotland where girls and young women feel safe and are welcome outside and in public spaces during the day and night. Where they are not at threat from violence and where they can fully participate in outdoor activities as equal members of society. The campaign achieved tangible policy change, with specific action in the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Delivery plan on girls’ safety to play in public spaces.
- Met with the First Minister at Bute House to discuss women in politics and the impact of social media on girls and young women.
- Spoken out about period poverty in the Scottish Parliament and on BBC Radio 4.
- Written to MSPs about Scotland’s deposit return scheme.
- Given evidence to MSPs in the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee on the impact of COVID19 on young people’s employment opportunities.
- Met with the Minister for Mental Health to discuss the impact of poor body image on girls and young women.
- Featured in The Scotsman with opinion articles on pressing issues.
Scotland: for girls, by girls
This year, 21 Speak Out champions aged 14-22 came together from across Scotland to create this manifesto. Passionate about creating change, they each bring their own viewpoints, ideas and life experience.
This is their vision for the future of girls in Scotland.
- Girls deserve a safe Scotland
- Girls deserve equal access to healthcare
- Girls deserve access to learning safely
- Girls deserve to be safe online
- Girls deserve sport and youth work designed for them
Download the plain text version here.
Listen to the audio version below:
Scottish Youth Parliament
We want all young people to get engaged with the democratic process and be empowered to speak out about issues they care about. We have 2 young members who represent us at the Scottish Youth Parliament (also known as MSYPs).
What is the Scottish Youth Parliament?
The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people. It’s made up of 150 young people aged 14-25 from across Scotland and is a platform for young people to make their voices heard on issues that matter to them.
2 Girlguiding Scotland members aged 14-25 have been elected by members to represent us in Scotland’s Youth Parliament. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our members to develop their skills beyond their unit and the chance to represent girls and young women across Scotland.
What our MSYPs do
We want all young people to be engaged with democratic processes and feel empowered to speak out about issues they care about. We have two representatives in the Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as MSYPs. Our 2 recently elected MSYPs, Aine and Martha, will represent the views of Girlguiding Scotland members so they can be truly represented on important issues facing girls and young women across the country.
The top 5 things our MSYPs have done in the past:
- Met with a group of guides from Lesotho to share what the Scottish Youth Parliament does
- Presented to local authority decision-makers what community-based mental health services for young people in Scotland could look like
- Attended See Me’s conference on mental health, sharing young people’s views and SYP policy with professionals
- Attended an SQA focus group on the impact of COVID-19 on young people’s education
- Passed a number of members motions, including on the importance of outdoor education centres working with Scouts Scotland MSYPs
Meet our MSYP Support Volunteer…
“I’m Steph, Girlguiding Scotland’s MSYP Support Volunteer. It’s my pleasure to champion the MSYPs as they work to make change through the Scottish Youth Parliament and Girlguiding Scotland. I am on hand as a sounding board, morale booster, and advocate for the MSYPs, ensuring they get the most out of their time in the Scottish Youth Parliament. Not only is this a learning experience for me, but an incredible opportunity for young people to make a tangible difference in our society.”
Meet our MSYPs
Aine and Martha will attend SYP sittings 3 times a year, which involve debate and discussion around issues that matter to Scotland’s young people. Find out a little more about them here…
MSYP Aine
The issues that matter most to me are prejudiced stereotypes against young girls and disability awareness.
MSYP Martha
As an MSYP I am interested in political and equality issues, especially matters that impact the lives of young women.