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 up to 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…
- 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
Why not flip through this zine that the Speak Out champions created to find out more?
You can also join our Speak Out Facebook group
If you’re aged 14-25 you can also join our official Speak Out group on Facebook where we gather the opinions of Speak Out members on all sorts of issues!
Speak Out Campaign 2023 – Own Our Zone
Our Speak Out champions are proud to launch their Own Our Zone campaign as they seek to make public spaces safer for girls and young women across Scotland.
We envision 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. We want transformative community planning, understanding that public spaces must be co-designed by and for girls and young women. We want girls and young women to be able to own their zone.
Through the Own Our Zone campaign we are seeking to create tangible change, help empower girls to reach their full potential and find their voice outside.
Find out more about how you can get involved in the challenge here and download the pack.
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 two 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.
Two 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 two recently elected MSYPs, Sophie and Caitlin, 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
Sophie and Caitlin will attend SYP sittings three 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 Sophie
I’m really excited to be continuing on as one of the MSYPs for Girlguiding Scotland, getting to represent young members! Over the last three years as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, I’ve been able to pass policy on sexual harassment on public transport and single-use plastics. As a trustee within the Scottish Youth Parliament I’ve also been able to take part in lots of cool opportunities such as speaking to the Uzbekistan Parliament and giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament.
I’m looking forward to continuing to be involved in the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and advocating for the rights of young people, specifically girls and young women.
MSYP Caitlin
I’m super excited to be one of the new Girlguiding Scotland MSYPs. I’ve been a part of Girlguiding since I joined Rainbows and now I’m in Rangers working towards gaining my young leader qualification. I’m also a student in my fourth year of High School.
I feel passionately about teaching young girls how to use their voices and giving them the confidence they need to speak out on matters close to them. I plan on being able to speak on the importance of young girls’ mental health as well as work to remove the stigma around speaking out in certain circumstances such as feeling unsafe in your environment and the gender inequality girls still face today.