Girls and Leadership

Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today

The Girl Scouts Research Institute explores girls' attitudes and beliefs today compared to 20 years ago in a new study Good Intentions: The Beliefs and Values of Teens and Tweens Today (2009). They found overwhelmingly, youth today: 

Are not prone to risky or inappropriate behavior
62% say they would not cheat on a test (compared to 48% in 1989).

58% say they would refuse an alcoholic drink if offered one at a party (compared to 46% in 1989).

33% say they would wait until marriage to have sex (compared to 24% in 1989).

18% say smoking is okay if the person finds it enjoyable (compared to 27% in 1989). 
 
Are civic-minded and generous
84% (compared to 77% in 1989) say they will vote in every election

76% (compared to 63% in 1989)say they will give regularly to charity

79% say they will volunteer in their community (question not asked in 1989) 

Value diversity
59% say being around people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds is important to them. (question not asked in 1989) 

Download a summary of the study [PDF]
Download Key Facts on Parental Influence [MS Word]
Download Key Facts on Youth [MS Word]

 

Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership
[Girl Scout Research Institute, March 2008]

A new study by the Girl Scout Research Institute finds that while girls find the command-and-control style of leadership unappealing, a majority of them would aspire to a different kind of leadership focused on personal principles, ethical behavior and the ability to affect social change.

• more than half of American girls say they don't aspire to be leaders, turned off by the conventional conception of leadership as command and control
  
  
• 68 percent of survey respondents said they would want to be leaders who stand up "for their beliefs and values”
  
  
• 59 percent said that they would like to be a leader "who tries to change the world for the better."
  
  
• 67 percent of girls want to be leaders because they want to help other people

Download a summary of the study [PDF]
Download the full study [PDF]

Quick Tips on Raising Girls to be Leaders

Promoting leadership is above all about fostering self-confidence and providing positive environments in which to acquire experience. Here are some quick tips on raising girls to be leaders.

• Provide girls a supportive environment to express themselves freely and experiment with their leadership identities.
• Make sure they have supportive, inspiring, and influential role models. This includes parents, particularly mothers, who are a primary influence on the lives of their daughters.
• Provide girls a range of opportunities to engage in collaborative projects and experiences with their peers.
• Discuss with girls the accomplishments and lives of extraordinary people of historical and personal significance.
• Have them take responsibility for others.
• Allow them to practice and develop specific skills, such as speaking in front of others, and giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Give girls an opportunity to effect change in their communities.

Source: Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership

Download Quick Tips [PDF]