On Wednesday, the board of directors at the Boy Scouts of America announced its unanimous decision to allow girls to join the Cub Scout program and receive the Eagle Scout rank.

The Boy Scouts of America, whose membership has decreased by nearly 20% since 2012, said that the move was prompted by “years of receiving requests from families and girls” to join the organization. 

The decision was announced on the International Day of the Girl, which has been celebrated each year since 2012 on Oct. 11. 

“I’ve seen nothing that develops leadership skills and discipline like this organization,” Randall Stephenson, BSA’s national board chairman, said in a statement. “It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girls.”

While many reactions across the internet were positive, the Girl Scouts of America issued a strongly-worded statement, but did not explicitly reference the Boy Scouts’ decision, CNN reports. 

Read More: There’s a New Girl Scout Troop Just For Homeless Girls in NYC

"The need for female leadership has never been clearer or more urgent than it is today,” the statement read, “and only Girl Scouts has the expertise to give girls and young women the tools they need for success.” 

Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, the fifth of which is gender equality. When girls are given greater opportunities to pursue leadership roles, like the Eagle Scout distinction, they are empowered to pursue policies that benefit all people regardless of gender, race, or class. You can take action here

Read More: Boy Scouts of America Now Welcomes Transgender Boys

Here are some of the varied reactions across social media: 

Digests

Demand Equity

These Are the Best Reactions to the Boy Scouts’ Decision to Let Girls Join

By Phineas Rueckert