Girl Scouts say no to violence vs women, children

MANILA, Philippines—The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is taking action to help end violence against women and children.

Violence against women is one of the most widespread violations of human rights around the world, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines said in press statement. The GSP is a member of WAGGGS.

The statement said the United Nations estimated that up to six out of 10 girls and women globally have experienced violence and sexual abuse in their lifetime.  Hence, the WAGGGS created the campaign “Stop the Violence. Speak Out for Girls’ Rights,” the GSP said.

The GSP runs the campaign in the Philippines. On February 11, the GSP held a symposium, “Violence Against Women and Children,” in the Pilar Hidalgo Lim Auditorium at GSP National Headquarters in Manila. More than 400 Girl Scouts from Northern, Central and Southern Luzon discussed possible risks and abuses that girls and young women might be encountering in their homes and schools and how to stop them.

Dr. Rivka Yahav, wife of Mayor Yona Yahav of Haifa, Israel, was the guest speaker. She discussed issues on gender inequality and other forms of violence against women and children around the world and how the girl scouting movement could help to stop them.

“Boys and girls,” Yahav said, “should grow up with healthy self-esteem since violence occur when a man needs to exert violence to prove himself, while a woman becomes submissive to violence when she’s not confident enough to say no.”