CEO Jill Zelmanovits says they are changing the name to further remove barriers to belonging for tribal girls and women. “It’s clear that this change is the right thing to do — Girl Drivers cannot be represented by a term that hurts girls,” Zelmanovic said in a statement Tuesday. “Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at Girl Guides calls us to listen to the lived experiences of girls who have been racialized and take action to uphold those commitments,” she said. “It is imperative that no part of Guiding causes harm to the girls we serve.” Brownies, the branch of Girl Guides for seven- and eight-year-old girls, teaches outdoor safety, camping basics, gardening, building with tools and conflict management, while fostering healthy friendships. Zelmanovic said in an interview that the name controversy was brought to the organization’s attention early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Some members said they would skip the Brownies or join the Girl Guides when they turned nine to avoid joining the branch, she said. The organization said it consulted with tribal members to come up with two possible new names. It plans to announce the new name in January with the change taking effect in September 2023. Zelmanovic said there is also going to be a contest for members to submit artwork that will appear on a new logo. The Girl Guides of Canada, founded in 1910, has taken steps to be more inclusive in recent years, allowing transgender girls to join the program in 2015 and running new t-shirt uniforms in 2019. Zelmanovits said many women who were Brownies may feel their memories are affected by the name change. “I’ve been a leader in this industry, so I fully understand all the magic that happens and none of that changes,” he said. “The only thing that changes is the name. And what we hope is that the change will actually mean that more girls will be able to create the memories that so many women across Canada hold so close to their hearts.” This story was produced with financial assistance from Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
