Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan CEO Jan Barker says girls wonder “Why are there only six woman governors in the United States?”
Barker says the good news is that five of them were girl scouts. She says the organization is now focusing more of its efforts on gender equity. Barker says that includes pay inequality, and media images of body type that affect girls’ self-confidence.
Barker has been with Girl Scouts since 1995. She was CEO of Glowing Embers for 13 years. After a realignment in 2008, five organizations were folded into one. The Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan serves 19,000 girls and over 6,000 leaders.
For over 100 years, Barker says Girl Scouts has been a dynamic force for girls. She says they want people to know about how important equality is, and how much inequality still exists.
Barker says there will be a progression of topics discussed based on age. She says older Girl Scouts want to be able to talk about the risk of sexual assault on college campus. Barker says the Girl Scouts are a good organization to help create awareness and help girls be safer on campus.
Asked about fostering the next generation of leaders, Barker says that’s always the mission of Girl Scouts. Barker says that includes working to have more men as leaders in the organization. Barker says Girl Scouts want to make sure that young girls have a positive male role model.
