for a moment and consider these facts…

• Nearly one quarter of female teens (23%) have fewer than three adults they could go to if they needed help.¹
• Seventy-four percent of girls 8-12 aspire to a college and graduate school education, but only 19% of girls believe they will be the boss of their own company.²
• Thirty percent of girls who have gone into public chat rooms have been sexually harassed online, but only 7 percent of those girls say they told their mother or father about the incident immediately.³  
• Among ninth graders, girls (23%) now consume alcohol and binge drink at rates similar to boys (26%).⁴
• Girls 13 -18 years old think that by far they are the "savviest" computer user in their household (58% of girls), but only 20% of high school students taking advanced placement computer science exams are female.^{3, 5}  
• Nearly 1 out of every 2 high school boys plays sports while only 1 in 3 girls do.⁶  
• In 1970, only one out of every 21 girls was obese or overweight; today that figure is one in six.⁷ 
• One-third (34%) of girls 13-17 are concerned about being forced to do something sexual and more than one quarter (26%) of girls cope with feeling unsafe by using alcohol and drugs.¹

Girl Scouts Offers Solutions and Support for Girls
 
Girl Scouts' cutting-edge program initiatives give girls the skills they need to avoid unhealthy behaviors and make responsible decisions that will help them overcome challenges throughout their lives. In fact, 64% of today's women leaders in the United States (civic, corporate, political, etc.) were Girl Scouts and 82% of high-achieving alumnae believe Girl Scouts influenced their success. In study after study, it's clear that girls involved in Girl Scouts are more likely to lead healthy successful lives as they develop:

• Self competence
• Social skills
• Respect for others
• Feelings of belonging
• Strong values
• Concern for community
• Teamwork
• Leadership

By contributing to the Commit To A Girl Campaign, you're helping fulfill the dream of making Girl Scouting available to every girl who wants to join. You can help us reach underserved segments of our population so that all girls can benefit from the Girl Scout experience.

http://www.committoagirl.org
 

Sources
¹Feeling Safe: What Girls Say, 2003, Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scouts of the USA
²Girl Scout Research Institute/Harris Interactive YouthPulse, 2004
³The Net Effect: Girls and New Media, 2002, Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Scouts of the USA 
⁴Centers for Disease Control, 2002
⁵Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 1999, National Science Foundation
⁶National Federation of State High School Associations, 2003
⁷National Center for Health Statistics, 2002