Enabling change: World Scouting's strategic vision for gender equality and end of gender-based violence
By Emily Jones, Youth Representative - Gender, World Scouting
World Scouting reaffirmed its strategic commitment to advancing gender equality and ending gender-based violence through education and grassroots action at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
CSW69, held this year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, is a vital platform that sets the global agenda on women’s rights and the empowerment of girls. This flagship forum sees global leaders and civil society converge to advance women's rights and shape international gender policies, providing an opportunity for World Scouting to share its unique perspectives as a movement built on co-education and inclusive, non-formal learning environments.
Our approach is built on a solid foundation of international legal frameworks, including the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—now undergoing its sixth periodic review. This latest review is significant because it represents the first major comprehensive assessment in over a decade, offering fresh insights into global progress on women’s rights. This landmark document reaffirms the global commitment to gender equality and serves as a cornerstone for our advocacy. Its enduring call for the protection of women’s rights and the promotion of equal opportunities underpins our efforts to address structural inequities, especially in decision-making, where women and marginalised identities have too often been sidelined.
World Scouting’s approach to gender equality is both principled and practical. At the 43rd World Scout Conference, Scouting’s highest governance body, our members endorsed Resolution 2024-09, championing the prevention of gender-based violence — a dedicated call to action that complements international frameworks, like the Beijing Declaration and the Cairo ICPD Programme of Action. This resolution reinforces our commitment to dismantling harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage, while ensuring that decisions about women’s bodies and rights are made inclusively, with women's voices at the forefront and reflecting their diverse needs and realities.
Our commitment extends to ensuring that discussions about gender-based violence, systemic oppression, and the risks faced by women and girls in conflict zones are not only part of our internal dialogue but are actively translated into community-level actions. The burden of resolving gender inequality must not rest on women alone, so as the world’s largest co-educational youth movement, we are educating young men and boys to be active gender equality advocates.
Recognising that gender equality intersects with issues of economic opportunity, digital inclusion, and human rights, Scouting’s approach is both holistic and grounded in practical education. Through our Youth Programme and youth-led initiatives, initiatives are not only central to our identity but are strategically embedded in our global agenda. Our movement is open to all, embracing every young person regardless of gender, age, background, faith, or beliefs. Today, we build on this legacy through our Strategy for Scouting (2024–2033), in which one of the three Impact Statement clearly envisions a peaceful and inclusive world free from discrimination, and our Triennial Plan (2024–2027), which aims to strengthen diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding the well-being of every member.
In our vision, we know that communities thrive when women and young people lead. Our unique contribution lies in our proven model of non-formal education - a model that transforms international commitments into real-life change.
At CSW69, our delegation is joining governments, civil society organisations, corporations, and other key stakeholders to champion the fight against gender inequity. In a world that urgently needs bold and inclusive leadership, we stand ready to ensure that women and youth are not just beneficiaries but are at the very forefront of transformative change.
