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Why is WAGGGS internationalwomensday.com's preferred partner?

Girls are change agents for the future. By internationalwomensday.com drawing the world’s attention to the inclusion of girls in all IWD activity globally, many more minds will be inspired, barriers broken and expectations for fulfilling potential realised. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are tomorrow's women leaders.

Globally there are thousands of women's charities, many of which are truly outstanding in their achievements. It would not be appropriate for internationalwomensday.com to select one global women's charity over another as they all are relevant, different and geographically suited. Global charities like Womankind Worldwide, UNIFEM, Women For Women International, the EQUALS Partnership and more are all very impressive and effective. Girl's leadership and equality link all women's charities and with ten million girls from 145 countries across the world, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world.

WAGGGS' Global Action Theme is "together we can change our world". This mindset is pertinent to International Women's Day. WAGGGS provides girls in almost every country across the world with values-based training in life skills, leadership and citizenship. They address and educate girls about issues like aids, violence, leadership, community involvement and responsibility, teamwork, environmentalism and much more. They are the charity we urge you to donate your International Women's Day events proceeds and fundraising efforts to if you have not yet identified a women's charity.

Maybe you have a daughter, granddaughter or niece who would greatly value from being a Girl Guide?

About the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the umbrella association for Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting organizations in 145 countries, from Argentina to Zimbabwe. WAGGGS uses non-formal education to empower girls worldwide to become leaders and advocates, both in their communities and on the world stage.

WAGGGS delivers global programmes, curricula and and events focusing on leadership development, active citizenship and learning by doing. Girls and young women develop life skills through self-development, challenge and adventure – both in their own countries and at the four residential and training centres in Switzerland, India, Mexico and the UK, known as World Centres.

Connecting girls

In line with internationalwomensday.com's 2012 theme "Connecting girls, Inspiring futures", WAGGGS aims to bring girls and young women together – whatever their religion, ethnic group, nationality or background.

International friendship and teamwork are fundamental tenets of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movement, and girls are connected through the World Centres, international events and occasions such as World Thinking Day and the Young Women's World Forums, and the WAGGGS website.

WAGGGS also organizes international delegations of young women to attend UN events including the COP climate change conferences and the Commission on the Status of Women.

Inspiring futures

WAGGGS inspires futures by supporting girls' self-development and self-motivation. Its non-formal approach to education allows girls to explore different avenues and opportunities in a meaningful way.

As well as the historical troop-based learning system, WAGGGS has developed other channels for learning and development including the WAGGGS Leadership Development Programme (WDLP). This is designed to take the WAGGGS vision into the future via a strong set of female leaders operating from grass roots level upwards.

Join WAGGGS on Facebook and Twitter.

Stop the Violence

Stop the Violence: Speak out for girls' rights is a new campaign from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) which is unique in targeting violence specifically against girls and young women.

Girls in every country across the world are subjected to many forms of violence – whether through domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, female genital mutilation (FGM), human trafficking, forced marriage or other violent acts. As an organization representing ten million girls and young women worldwide, WAGGGS has a responsibility and an opportunity to speak out and take action against this injustice.

From a whisper to a shout

Girls have the right to live free from violence and the fear of violence. Through Stop the Violence, WAGGGS aims to reach out to our ten million members, to their communities, to our partners, to decision-makers in national and international governments and internationally, and to influencers such as the media and celebrities, to communicate this message.

Stop the Violence encourages everyone to speak out in opposition to violence against girls. It is an injustice that we have stayed silent on for too long. Building from a whisper to a shout, each person’s voice helps to build a global shout.

Please support Stop the Violence by adding your own voice at the campaign website today.

Join Stop the Violence on Facebook and Twitter.

Global Girls Fund

The Global Girls Fund was launched by WAGGGS to mark the Movement's centenary celebrations.

WAGGGS believes that investing in the future of every girl and young women is key to achieving healthy, fair and productive societies. Action by girls and young women should be at the heart of solutions to issues such as poverty, discrimination, the spread of disease, and climate change.

The Global Girls Fund was established to provide the means to empower each and every girl with whom WAGGGS is in contact, through a 3 step process:

• Increasing sense of self by offering girls and young women peer support and a place to belong, so that they can create a safe space in which they can start to explore issues that affect them and those around them.
• Increasing sense of confidence by helping girls and young women develop as leaders, empowering them to become active in their world and agents of their own destiny.
• Increasing sense of impact by teaching girls and young women about effective advocacy: educating them on core issues and giving them a platform on which to speak out on issues that affect them and those around them – so that the voice of the girl can be better heard.

Through the Global Girls Fund WAGGGS aims to raise £10 million by June 2014 in order to create and develop related projects and programmes that will ensure each and every girl has the opportunity she deserves to research her fullest potential.

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