COULD THERE BE a better example of the sexism that still dominates society?

“Should girls be allowed?”, the question begins. Well, girls should be “allowed” to do whatever they want (provided it doesn’t put the life of another person at risk).

“To join the boy scouts?”. To refer to an organisation today as the “boy” anything ought to be illegal. The “Scouts” should be a non-sexist organisation welcoming girls and boys of all colours and creeds.

Now, sexist males may already have looked at my bio and discovered that I’m not American. No, I’m speaking as a citizen of the world. Sexism in my country is rife as well, so what I’m saying is that - throughout the world - girls and boys should be playing, working, and learning together, not being herded into separate clubs and activities by their gender.

If we keep male and female activities separate, how will boys ever learn to cook or clean, or girls to play rough sports or even change an electric plug?

So let’s get down to the practicalities behind this question. Activities within the Scouts movement can be enjoyed and appreciated by both genders; each can learn from the other; each sex’s traditional strengths (the girls’ organisational skills, the boys competitiveness) can be honed to work for both.

When it comes to necessarily single sex situations (camping, showering, etc) I can speak from experience and say that women are not only just as likely as men to be available to supervise the girls, but that we have had years and years of looking after children (if not actually giving birth to them, we’ve nurtured them and raised them) and that therefore we are better able to ‘look after’ both genders. Not only that, but many of the girls themselves will be experienced at raising brothers and sisters.

If that sounds as if I’m changing tack and suggestng that girls (or boys) are more adept at certain things - well, ONLY because of our bodies or ‘natural’ experience.

I personally CAN give birth, and suckle and nurture a baby, a man can’t. A man can… well, what can a man do that I can’t? Teach his sons to pee standing up I suppose (though I tried with my brothers!) or - yes, here’s a serious one - help a boy shave his face and grow facial hair, I can’t!

But, back at the camp, a woman is supervising the girls, a man the boys, and all’s right with the world. As long as steps have been taken to ensure that the girls have the necesaery showers, baths, and toilets, as distinct from whatever the boys are happy using (again, I speak from experience of helping raise a sister and two brothers!). But that’s not a hardship for the organisation: such facilities would have been provided at separate sites for the genders anyway.

And the fact that they’re now being provided at the same one will automatically have economies of scale.

So, girls in the ‘Unisex Scouts’? Definitely.