Empowering females of the future: The feminist past and female future of Girl Guides 

The name Brownies was officially changed to Embers in 2023.

GUIDER (noun) /gahyder/ Catalyst of girl empowerment. That's what's written on the new shirt I ordered from the Girl Guides of Canada store and I wear it proudly as I write this. Girl Guides is exactly that for me: How I empower the next generation of female leaders. Is there a more fitting topic for International Women's Day? I began my journey as a Brownie and Girl Guide before becoming Guider (unit leader) to an amazing group of Brownies (known as Embers as of 2023). Being a Guider is a big responsibility. The Guiding movement's past is rooted in feminism. Some people don't like the word feminism, but the definition is the belief that women should have equal rights. I can't imagine anyone being fundamentally against that. Girl Guides is the feminist movement all girls should be involved with. On this special day of celebrating women's equality, I want to share with you why your girls should join Girl Guides.

The regular person’s guide to becoming a climate activist

I’ve always felt a deep connection to nature. Growing up I was passionate about aquatic life and had an interest in wildlife extinction. I used to drag my little sister to the stream behind our housing development and collect samples to analyze. We would catch frogs and collect algae. Mostly we would get covered in mud despite my mother’s strict instructions to ‘not get dirty.’ I decided I was going to be a marine biologist when I grew up, long before my dreams of being a writer surfaced. The problem was I didn’t excel in science and math and I knew my grades would never reflect my passion. I had to set my scientist dreams aside. It was clear to me that my talents were limited to pen and paper. But my connection to nature never went away, and as I grew, that connection grew with me. I became aware of climate change and the harm humanity is inflicting on the planet and that the list of extinct animals is getting longer. I couldn’t sit back and watch without doing something. But what could I do? I’m just a regular person.