Girl Guides

Hello! We are the Girl Guides, a worldwide movement created for girls and young women. Our story starts over a century ago in the United Kingdom, at a time when adventures like camping and learning outdoor skills were mostly available for boys. An organization called the Boy Scouts had been formed by a man named Robert Baden-Powell, and girls who saw their activities wanted to join in the fun and challenge. They wanted a group of their own where they could have similar adventures and learn valuable skills.

In response to this growing interest, an organization was officially created just for them in 1910. The leadership for this new group was taken on by Agnes Baden-Powell, who was Robert’s sister. From the very beginning, our purpose was clear. We wanted to give girls their own special space where they could learn important new skills, grow their confidence, and discover how to become helpful and active members of their communities. It was about showing that girls, too, were capable of leadership, teamwork, and making a positive impact on the world around them.

The idea of a group dedicated to girls’ empowerment and learning was incredibly popular. It didn’t take long for our movement to spread far beyond the United Kingdom. Soon, new groups of Girl Guides were forming in countries all over the world, including Australia, Canada, and South Africa. As we grew into a global family, it became important to have a way to connect all of our members and share our common goals. To achieve this, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which you might see called WAGGGS, was formed in 1928. This association helps unite us all.

To make sure girls of all ages could participate, we created different groups. You may have heard of the Brownies, which is our group designed for younger girls who are just starting their journey with us. Our activities have always been hands-on and exciting. We are famous for our camping trips, where we learn to work together and explore the outdoors. A big part of being a Guide is also earning badges. These badges are symbols of accomplishment, showing that a Guide has learned a new skill, such as how to perform first aid, how to cook a meal, or how to navigate with a map and compass.

A very special part of being a Girl Guide, no matter where you are in the world, is making a Promise. This isn't just a sentence to memorize; it's a commitment each girl makes to do her best in everything she does. The Promise includes core ideas like being honest and helpful and pledging to serve our communities. We understand that our world is full of diverse cultures and beliefs. That’s why the exact words of the Promise and our guiding Law can be a little different from one country to another. This flexibility allows our members to express their commitment in a way that fits with their local cultures, but the main, powerful ideas of service and personal growth remain the same everywhere.

We believe that a promise is best kept through action. We put our commitment to serving our communities into practice through community service projects. This is where we work together to make a real, positive difference right where we live. You might see Girl Guides planting trees to help the environment, visiting residents in nursing homes to offer friendship and company, or organizing food drives to help families in need. Through this work, we not only help others but also learn about responsibility, empathy, and the power of teamwork.

Today, we are a global family with members in over 150 countries. While we still love our long-standing traditions of camping and earning badges, we have also grown to include skills that are essential for the modern world. Now, our members can learn about new subjects like coding, how to protect the environment through conservation projects, and what it takes to be a strong and effective leader. We actively work on projects that tackle some of the world’s biggest issues, such as promoting gender equality and fighting climate change. Being a Girl Guide today means being part of a supportive, worldwide movement that helps girls and young women find their voice, build their skills, and work together to build a better, fairer world for everyone.