Suffrage Patch

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul have announced a new Girl Scouts patch celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage in New York. Women in New York gained the right to vote in 1917, three years before the 19th amendment granted suffrage to women across the U.S. 

The patch program is a partnership between all seven Girl Scout councils in New York, including Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways, and the New York State Women’s Suffrage Commission, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. All seven Girl Scout councils in New York, including GSNYPENN, will participate in the patch program, giving girls across the state an engaging way to learn about the history of the women’s movement in New York and envision how they can lead for justice.

Patch requirements ask New York Girl Scouts to think about what justice means to them, how the Women’s Rights Movement is a part of their lives today, and encourages them to make advocacy a part of their lives. They must learn the names of key suffragette leaders and the definition of civil disobedience, visit (virtually or in person) key sites in the women’s rights movement, create a suffrage banner, and play games popular for girls 100 years ago, among other things. Girls can also earn the patch by participating in GSNYPENN’s Carrying the Torch: Girl Scout Convention on Women’s Rights held in Seneca Falls.