Global
In 1909 in a boy scouting rally, a group of girls showed up and demanded to join. Sir Robert Baden-Powell (the father of the guiding and scouting movement) was initially reluctant to accept because he deemed scouting unsuited for the feminine nature of girls. However the benefits of scouting were too great to pass up; and Sir Robert thought it is unjust to deprive the girls of this opportunity. And that is how Girl Guiding was born. Girl Guides were formed in 1910 by Sir Robert with the assistance of his sister Agnes. After his marriage in 1912, his wife Olave Baden-Powell took a leading role in the development of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. As the movement spread, independent national Guiding associations were set up; however, a need for international cooperation was felt and at the 5th international conference held in Hungary in 1928 the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) was formed. WAGGGS is now considered the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women; it is the official umbrella of over 10 million girl guides and girl scouts spreading over 145 countries.
Local (Sharjah)
The guiding movement was first established in Sharjah in 1973 where the first camp was held by ambitious women seeking empowerment and leading change contrary to the typical view of a woman’s capabilities in society. In the same year Sharjah hosted training by the Arab Training Commissioner for 30 leaders. Guiding has since spread to all seven Emirates; and in 1979 the Girl Guides Association of the United Arab Emirates was officially born.