As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we reflect on more than a century of Girl Guides shaping the lives of girls and young women in Victoria and around the world. For well over a century, Guiding has helped girls build confidence, resilience and leadership skills that stay with them for life. That legacy is something we are incredibly proud to carry forward.
Our history runs deep, and so do the traditions that make Guiding special. At the same time, Guiding continues to evolve with the world around it. The program grows and adapts with each new generation, staying relevant because it reflects the interests, challenges and energy of the girls who walk through our doors. Their curiosity and enthusiasm keep the Guiding movement fresh, modern and full of new ideas and possibility.
This year’s UN Women Australia International Women’s Day theme, Balance the Scales, calls on all of us to work toward a fairer and more equitable future for women and girls. At Girl Guides Victoria, this is not just an aspiration or a mission printed on a poster. It is the work we do every week in our Guide Halls, in our local communities, at the sausage sizzle, on the walking trails, at the rock‑climbing wall, on the water and around the campfire.
Guiding provides girls with a space where they can explore their strengths, challenge inequity, develop their voice and learn to lead with courage and kindness, all while getting messy, laughing out loud and making new friends. In a world where screens, social media and online pressures can feel overwhelming and contribute to uneven expectations on girls, Guiding can be a vital counterweight, giving girls time and permission to just be present, just connect and just be themselves in their own way and on their own terms. These experiences help Guides work out their own path to become the leaders, advocates and changemakers our communities need.
Guiding helps balance the scales by giving them room to grow on their own terms: to be bold, to be curious, to be themselves. These experiences help shape the leaders, advocates and changemakers our communities need.
And we are part of something truly global. Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting is the world’s largest volunteer‑led movement for girls and young women, with 10 million members across 152 countries. That global sisterhood gives girls here in Victoria a sense of belonging that stretches far beyond their local Unit. It connects them to a worldwide network of young women who are learning to lead, speak up and spark change.
We are proud to be a volunteer‑powered organisation. Our incredible community of volunteers help balance the scales by giving girls access to opportunities, experiences and role models they may not otherwise have. They bring a depth and diversity of experience and knowledge that no program could replicate on its own.
Our volunteers are mentors, guides and champions for girls, creating supportive environments where young people feel safe to try, fail, try again and ultimately discover what they are capable of. They are also incredible at setting campfires that stay alight, finding energy from a cup of tea and a biscuit after a long night at camp, and turning a rainy evening in a Guide Hall into a night of fun and raucous laughter!
Volunteering also brings balance to the lives of the adults who step forward and share their time and skills. Many of our volunteers tell us that Guiding offers a grounding counterweight to the pressures of work and home. It provides connection, purpose and joy. It creates space to be outdoors, to learn new skills, to build friendships and to make a meaningful contribution to their community. In a world that often feels rushed and demanding, volunteering can offer a sense of perspective and fulfilment that is hard to find elsewhere.
As we look ahead, we know that continuing this legacy requires more people who believe in the potential of girls and young women. If you are passionate about building a fairer and more inclusive world, and supporting girls to unlock their potential, volunteering with Girl Guides Victoria is a meaningful and rewarding way to make a real difference.
On this International Women’s Day, we honour the past, celebrate the present and commit to a future where every girl has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we can help balance the scales.
Natalie Glenton, Chair
Megan Hannan, Interim CEO
Girl Guides Victoria