Scouting for equality: Empowering voices against gender-based violence at UN Women’s Summit

6 minutes

By Emily Jones, Melissa El Feghali, and Matheus Valois, World Scouting’s Youth Representatives

 

Gender-based violence is more common than you think. One in three women and girls will experience it in their lifetime, making it one of the most widespread – and frequently underreported – human rights violations in the world. As stakeholders in gender equality, every Scout has a responsibility to educate themselves about gender-based violence towards tackling its root causes, and empowering women and girls at the same time.

As World Scouting’s Youth Representatives focused on advocating for gender issues, this past week we have been at the United Nations (UN) Women’s Summit, known as CSW68, representing the 57 million Scouts across world in a show of strength and unity to demand a stop to gender-based violence.

Anyone can be the victim of gender-based violence, but it disproportionately affects women and girls. Deeply entrenched in communities and societal norms, it is often associated with a physical force but can take many forms. Verbal, psychological, sexual, and socio-economic violence are often overlooked examples that manifest in acts from stalking to intimidation and catcalling. And this is only in the real world.

Youth Reps taking part in CSW68

Gender-based violence online

With the rise of technology, gender-based violence is also routinely found online. Young people are accessing the Internet earlier in life, but they aren’t always equipped with the skills and knowhow to respond to gender-based violence when it happens. According to Plan International, around 58% of women and girls have been victims of online harassment – a figure that will likely rise if global action isn’t taken.

In male-dominated communities, such as online gaming, repeated harassment and threats against women gamers helped popularise the term “gender swapping”, in which women and girls adopt male personas to shield themselves from insults and confrontation by their male counterparts. But the mental toll on women of having to navigate these and similar threats is exhausting, particularly in communities that lack the resources or willingness to tackle the problem.

While most countries have passed laws on domestic violence, enforcement is often weak and an absence of safe support for victims means that most cases go unreported. Social change is also crucial to ensuring that victims are heard and receive the respect and compassion they deserve.

But shifting attitudes is a slow process, fostered by education and the removal of stigmas. When a society is educated to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions, blame shifts away from victims, leaving them in a safer position to seek help. The lasting impact of violence against women and girls can be devastating, wide-reaching and long-lasting, with survivors at higher risk of depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, and homelessness.

Youth Reps watches the proceedings at the UN headquarters in New York

Empowerment through global advocacy

Despite these challenges, the rise of the movements like #MeToo and “Ni Una Menos” has meant that attitudes are changing, and with it comes new opportunities to advocate for a future without violence. This is why it’s important for organisations like Scouting to jump-start these conversations and lead by example.

At the 41st World Scout Conference in 2017, World Scouting pledged to support UN Women’s HeForShe initiative by inspiring millions of Scouts to work towards creating a better, gender-equal world by 2020. Since then, UN Women and World Scouting have together developed a HeForShe Action Kit with activities designed to get young people of all ages thinking about gender equality and what they can do about it.

Fast forward to the CSW68, the UN's largest annual gathering on gender equality and women's empowerment, and Scouting continues to advocate for the rights of women and girls, ensuring that the interests of Scouts and our mission to make the world a better place are represented.

From Brazil to Saudi Arabia to India, Scouts are contributing towards a safer world for women through a wide range of programmes, courses, activities, and resources - and by investing in girls. Scouting’s co-educational programme enables, empowers, and engages young people, girls and boys as equals and acknowledges the different obstacles that women and girls face in their every-day lives.

It’s imperative that Scouts are heard at these events, having an impact on member states and building partnerships with other organisations to further common goals. Sharing this on a global stage gains recognition for our work as a movement and inspires other organisations to see the value in non-formal education. The importance of education on issues like gender-based violence cannot be understated.

We cannot shy away from speaking out about, breaking the taboos around gender-based violence. A failure to do so robs them of the knowledge and vocabulary needed to understand it, and also the power to fix it. As Scouts, we have a responsibility to present this topic in a way that is accessible and safe for young people to learn about.

It’s also crucial that men and boys challenge gender inequality to improve the well-being of women and girls, and of men themselves. They hold a responsibility to create safe spaces for women and must hold other men accountable for their actions and choices. Educating women empowers them but it must be stressed that the burden of inequality shouldn’t be theirs to carry alone. While the number of girls joining Scouting is on the rise, most of its members are male. Imagine the global impact if every male within Scouting felt the confidence to stand up against gender-based violence.

The UN predicted that at our current rate of progress, achieving total gender equality will take over 300 years. As Scouts, we are not willing to wait that long. The time to act and improve the world for future generations is now. Here are some things you can do to make a difference:

  • Start having the conversations that challenge young people’s understanding of gender equality and gender-based violence.
  • Promote education on topics around gender equality for all.
  • Empower men and boys, as critical stakeholders in promoting gender equality.
  • Create safe spaces in your local Scouting for young women.
  • Build the culture that you wish to see in the world within your Scout group first.

The impact that we can make as individuals is immense. By educating this generation of Scouts and then the next, our progress will multiply. We won’t solve prejudice and violence overnight but together we can pave the path towards a more equal world.

Youth reps smile at CSW68 in New York

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