Leave no one behind : a qualitative study about Malta Girl Guides’ mission and its incorporation of the sustainable development goals

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated Malta Girl Guides’ mission to be “a relevant movement where each girl and woman is valued, empowered and given a voice” (Malta Girl Guides, 2020), in relation to the non-formal education programme and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The study was conducted through triangulation of data, by having one-to-one interviews and focus groups with three different stakeholders within the association. This gave rise to the study’s epistemological stance of interpretivism. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis, and four main themes emerged. The themes explored participants’ views on the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals and Malta Girl Guides’ mission and programme. This was connected with Malta Girl Guides being on the driver’s seat of social change, which was discussed in the second theme. This social change wouldn’t be possible without the implementation of the non-formal educational programme, which was explored through the third theme. The fourth theme highlighted how all of these come together by, first and foremost, giving value to the girl and empowering her to make her voice heard. This study has highlighted that different stakeholders within Malta Girl Guides believe that the SDGs are implicitly imbedded within the non-formal educational programme, and that there is no such thing as irrelevant SDGs, for the fact that we are all global citizens. Moreover, participants closely related the association’s mission and vision with creating social change through participation and the skills of being a responsible citizen.