The Girl Scouts Advocacy Network provides a tool for you to become a voice for girls and to make a difference in your community and across the nation. Together, we can educate policymakers and community leaders on issues that directly affect girls and the Girl Scouts. By being an advocate, you will have an impact on girl policy issues moving through Congress and the state legislatures.

Current Legislation

Support Healthy Media Images for Girls!

Urge your member of Congress to support H.R. 4925!

  • Nearly 90% of girls say the media places a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin
  • Only 46% of girls think that the fashion industry does a good job of representing people of all races and ethnicities
  • 55% of teenage girls admit they diet to lose weight and 37% know a girl with an eating disorder (Girls & Body Image, 2010)

Girl Scouts worked closely with Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to introduce the Healthy Media for Youth Act (H.R. 4925). This bill supports media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups, facilitates research on how images of women and girls impact youth, and establishes a National Taskforce on Women and Girls in the Media to develop voluntary standards that promote healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women.

Contact your U.S. Representative today and ask him or her to be a Voice for Girls and support H.R. 4925!  We have crafted a draft email for your use, but feel free to customize it to share information about why this issue is important to you.

 

Take Action Now!

Legislative Agenda

Girl Scouts advocate for several issues that effect girls on a federal, state and local level. Learn about our advocacy issues here.

Take Action to Support Legislation that Affects Girl Scouts!

Enter your Zip Code below to contact your legislators.

 

Advocacy Network Successes

On Thursday, October 29, 2009 President Obama signed the Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act authorizing the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in honor of Girl Scouts and the achievements of the 50 million women across the nation whose lives have been influenced by Girl Scouting. This legislation enjoyed strong bipartisan support, with more than 300 cosponsors in the House, and more than 70 cosponsors in the Senate. The measure passed unanimously in both the House and Senate earlier this month. The Girl Scouts Centennial Commemorative Coin will be minted in 2013, marking the end of the celebration of our first 100 years and the beginning of our second century of leadership. Ten dollars from the sale of each coin will go to GSUSA to help fund much-needed renovations at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia. The bill also calls for the Secretary of the Treasury, in collaboration with the GSUSA and the Commission of Fine Arts, to design the coin in a manner “emblematic of the centennial of Girl Scouts.” 

This victory would not have been possible without the efforts of thousands of Girl Scout supporters—girls, alumnae, donors, volunteers, parents, staff, board members, and friends who wrote, e-mailed, and called their members of Congress. In fact, more than 40,000 messages were sent from Girl Scouts all over the nation. What an amazing tribute to the impact Girl Scouting has had on its 50 million past and current members.

For more information on GSNCA's advocacy efforts, please contact the Director of Communications and Advocacy, Hilary Perry at 205-980-4750 x1003 or 800-734-4541 x103.