Advocates attend political party conferences

Our girls talked about plastic pollution and Girlguiding’s #PlasticPromise with politicians at the Labour and Conservative Party conferences

This autumn, Ellie, Kate, Laura, Emily, Isla and Emma, members of Girlguiding’s Advocate panel, brought the views of girls and young women to the heart of political debate when they attended the Labour and Conservative Party conferences in Brighton and Manchester.

For those who haven’t heard of them yet, our advocates are a group of members aged 14 to 25 who shape the direction of Girlguiding’s research and campaigns, seeking change at the highest levels.

Our advocates hosted fringe events attended by MPs and environmental campaigners, aimed at getting young people’s voices heard in the fight against plastic pollution – something that our Future Girl consultation with more than 76,000 young members and our yearly Girls’ Attitudes Survey research have shown to be a top priority for girls and young women.

‘Our voices are heard’

‘We’re often an under-represented age group at events such as these and within organisations like political parties,’ says Kate, 19 years old. ‘Attending party conferences means our voices are heard on issues that matter to many girls and young women.’

The advocates called on MPs to join Girlguiding’s campaign to reduce plastics by making their own #PlasticPromise. Plus, they distributed a postcard detailing the key Future Girl topics and the changes girls are calling for.

‘When we attend the party conferences we can demonstrate that Girlguiding is an expert in girls’ lives,’ says Isla, 20 years old. ‘The opportunity to share our research with powerful people can help us improve the lives of girls as we can use these links to influence policy going forward.’