European SAGNOs register girls and young women to WOSM

In the first months of 2011, three European SAGNOs have each decided to declare the totality of their members, girls and boys, to WOSM, while maintaining their female membership in WAGGGS too.

Previously these associations had split their registrations according to gender and had declared only the boys and young men to WOSM:

• Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs Israëlites de France (EEIF)
• Latvian Guide and Scout Central Organisation (LGSCO)
• Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association (BIS)

Reflection processes on this topic are currently ongoing, at different stages, in other SAGNOs as well.

SAGNOs that have already in previous years registered their girls and young women to WOSM include Germany (VCP), France (SGDF), Liechtenstein (PPL), Turkey (TIF), Finland (SP-FS) and Nepal (NS).

Since January 2011, the decision to register all members to WOSM has no impact on the world fees: the World Scout Conference set the membership fees for the next nine years on the basis of the 2009 membership data. Therefore, until 2020 the fees will not be affected even if the declared WOSM membership increases.

The registration of all members in WOSM without separating them by gender is in line with the policy of Scouting to be a co-educational Movement for both genders.  The World Scout Committee has most recently in 2010 restated its recommendation to SAGNOs to declare all their members to WOSM.

All the newly registered girls and young women are warmly welcomed as sister Scouts and as members of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement.

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