WAGGGS is governed by a World Board made up of active Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting members from around the world.
The World Board consists of 17 voting members: 12 are elected by Member Organisations at the World Conference for a term of six years, and the five Chairs of the Regional Committees are elected at their respective Regional Conferences and serve for three years. So far as practicable, the World Board should have a minimum of two women under the age of thirty at their time of election.
The WAGGGS World Board has overall responsibility for the direction, strategy, governance and control of the organisation and is collectively accountable for compliance with relevant UK legislative and regulatory requirements.
The World Board is supported in its work by a number of Committees and Working Groups to which it allocates specific duties.
Meet our World Board
Candela Gonzalez (Argentina)
Chair of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Member of the World Board, July 2021 - Present
Candela is a member of Asociación Guías Argentinas (AGA). Since 2017, she has been serving as a member of the National Board and as Vice President & member of the WAGGGS Governance Committee since 2018. She completed her National Trainer training at AGA and has been a Leader for 8 years.
In a professional capacity, Candela works in the Programmes division at UNICEF Argentina. She holds a bachelor’s degree In International Relations is currently completing a master’s in International Cooperation.
“Guiding has an important role in breaking down social barriers, by telling the stories of girls, and empowering them. More than ever, Guiding must remain as a relevant space for girls and young women to become fulfilled active citizens who contribute to positive changes in themselves, their communities and the world.”
Fiona Lejosne (France)
Vice Chair of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Fiona is a member of Eclaireuses Eclaireurs de France. As a university lecturer, her work centers on guiding students academically while supporting their personal growth. In her role as a researcher in modern languages, Fiona brings critical thinking, curiosity, and intercultural understanding to every aspect of her work.
From 2020 to 2022, Fiona served as Vice-Chair of the Eclaireuses Eclaireurs de France, where she gained in-depth knowledge in strategic oversight, risk management, human resources, and finance. During this time, she played a key role in staff restructuring and helped establish a new funding model for the organisation.
As an International Commissioner, Fiona built partnerships with over ten guiding and scouting associations around the world. Over her five years in this role, she helped shape an international educational programme focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and co-led a major funding project with the French Development Agency, highlighting the importance of non-formal education in global solidarity. This experience gave Fiona a deep understanding of how the international dimension of guiding and scouting can support global education efforts.
Beyond governance, Fiona has a strong background in education, having served as a leader, camp leader, and co-leader of the Educational Method Commission in her association. As a long-time WAGGGS volunteer, she has played a key role in coordinating volunteers and supporting governance at both regional and global levels.
Christiane Rouhana (Lebanon)
Vice-Chair of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Member of the World Board, July 2021 - Present
Christiane is a member of Association des Guides du Liban. She never misses a chance to speak about Girl Guiding and Scouting and how much being in the Movement has brought to her life and to herself.
During her 25 years as a volunteer in her National MO, Association des Guides du Liban, Christiane has held a range of leadership roles, most recently as the International Commissioner for 8 years and served the National Board for more than 10. She has had the chance to work at different levels and with all age groups. Her favourite experiences are time spent with members in their groups and units: training, facilitating, playing, speaking and listening. Hence, Christiane’s personal motto is #HereForHer, where she expresses her eagerness to do her part for every girl and woman in the world.
Christiane earned her master’s degree in Clinical and Pathological Psychology in 2005. Since then, she has dedicated herself to providing every stakeholder in a child’s life - parents, educators and children themselves - the tools and knowledge necessary to keep children and families safe and well. She is also a Positive Discipline Instructor for parents and teachers.
In addition to her passion for the Movement, Christiane is an animal lover, avid reader and writer; she enjoys music and traveling, has a deep interest in languages and cultures and cherishes her international friends!
“Any woman, young woman or girl has the potential to be strong, independent and empowered; she can be whatever she wants to be and achieve big things for her and for the world. We need to make sure the world knows that.”
Stefanie Argus (USA)
Member of the World Board and Western Hemisphere Region Committee Chair, July 2022 - Present
Stefanie is a member of Girl Scouts USA. She holds a Master of Arts in Adventure Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Education. Stefanie has recently gained a PhD in Education at the University of Rhode Island / Rhode Island College.
She is a Lifetime member of Girl Scouts USA, having joined at age 5, and is a proud Gold Award Girl Scout. She also serves as a National Volunteer Partner with Girl Scouts USA. Stefanie has previously served in non-profit staff leadership roles as the Chief Mission Officer of YWCA Rhode Island and as the Senior Director of Girl Experience with Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England.
Stefanie became especially active with WAGGGS beginning in 2012 after spending a spring season volunteering at Our Chalet. One of her most meaningful WAGGGS experiences has been serving as a Lead Facilitator for the Stop the Violence campaign. Stefanie is ready to provide solid skills related to strategic planning, leadership development, educational methodology, communications, diversity and advocacy work, research and evaluation, and partnership collaborations. She is excited to support growth for a vibrant Western Hemisphere.
For fun, Stefanie enjoys hiking, Zumba instructing, geocaching, and cuddling with her two Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
Jess Bond (UK)
Member of the World Board, July 2021 - Present
Jess is a member of Girlguiding UK and was elected to the World Board in July 2021. She has held various roles in her association, including as Brownie and Ranger leader, Trainer, Marketing & Communications adviser, National Council member and National Lead volunteer for youth programmes.
Since attending a seminar at Our Cabana in 2010, Jess has been privileged to hold many roles in WAGGGS. In the Europe region, she was a member of the Core Group for Mentoring & Growth from 2013-16, a Facilitator at the 2016 Regional Conference and a member of several procedural teams for regional conferences and meetings. Most recently, she delivered virtual inductions throughout 2020 & 2021 to new global volunteers, as a member of the WAGGGS Core Mission Volunteer Engagement team.
In her professional life, Jess is a Senior Manager at the London School of Economics and Political Science, leading a team of staff to widen participation to the university for talented students from all backgrounds.
"I’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact of WAGGGS’ educational method - from girls in my local groups taking action in their local community to young women leaders advocating on a global stage. It is the chance to contribute to growing our membership and ensuring the long-term sustainability of WAGGGS which motivated me to stand for election, at a time when I believe our mission is more important than ever".
Fiona Bradley (New Zealand)
Member of the World Board, July 2021 – Present
Fiona is a member of GirlGuiding New Zealand. She has been involved in the Movement at many levels since the age of 5 and was a member of the National Board from 2011-2018.
Fiona has supported the WAGGGS Global Team in various ways: as Vice Chair of the WAGGGS Governance Committee 2018-2020, moving into the Chair role in December 2020, and as the Capacity Building Governance Team Lead since 2019. Previously, Fiona was a Stop the Violence (STV) Facilitator and Voices Against Violence Curriculum Lead.
Fiona has held a range of Board, Committee, and Trustee positions in her community and within her profession as a Pharmacist. She was co-opted as the first Early Career Pharmacist to the National Executive of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand.
Currently a Ranger leader for girls aged 12-17 years in GirlGuiding New Zealand, Fiona is passionate about seeing them take on leadership opportunities. She enjoys taking them into the outdoors for camping, cooking, and hiking.
"I want to see all girls feel empowered and have access to opportunities to grow and develop their leadership skills and, through this, impact their communities."
Monika Dreik (Poland)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 – Present
Monika is a member of Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego (ZHP) and joined Guiding when she was 11 years old. She has held many roles within Guiding including unit leader, trainer, regional international adviser, International commissioner and WAGGGS regional volunteer, (MO support and Capacity Building).
As a Biotechnologist quality expert, she is curious, creative and solution-oriented. In her role as a member of the World Board, she aims to utilise her skills in making informed and risk-based decisions, drawing from her experience working in a global organisation.
Being a member of a female unit in a Scout and Guide National Association, Monika recognises the importance of WAGGGS in both girl-only and co-educational settings and plans to continue to share this value with others. Through attending conferences and global events, Monika has developed strong connections with Member Organisations and International Commissioners, which she hopes to strengthen and use to further the development of the Movement.
Monika brings a deep passion of WAGGGS' mission and vision to her role as a World Board member and is committed to using her knowledge and experience to help her shape and strengthen the future of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement.
"Being a guide has shaped the person I’m today. I’m not afraid to speak up, express myself, stand for others and create the world with equal opportunities for everyone. WAGGGS educational methods and values have been my guidance."
Chamathya Fernando (Sri Lanka)
Member of the World Board, July 2021 – Present
Chamathya is a member of Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA) and began her Girl Guiding journey at the age of 8. At the age of just 25, Chamathya served on the World Board from September 2018 to July 2020. Once again, she is joining as the youngest member of the current World Board at 28 years old.
Previously, Chamathya was Coordinator of the Stop The Violence Campaign and Global Facilitator/Trainer for the Voices Against Violence non-formal educational curriculum. She was also the Volunteer Project Lead for Motion 32 - Young Women in Governance Research.
Chamathya is a passionate gender equality advocate with 9 years of experience in policy and advocacy work, a journey that started as a WAGGGS Youth Delegate in 2012/13. Recently, she was a member of The Core Group, the key decision-making body for the United Nations Generation Equality Forum which raised 40 billion USD to accelerate progress on gender equality.
In a professional capacity, Chamathya works on standardisation & digitalisation projects in the Marketing division of a global corporation. She is double degree holder in BSc. International Business Management and BA. Economics & Sociology. In 2017, Chamathya was recognised by the US State Department as one of the 10 Global Emerging Young Leaders for her work on empowering girls & young women and advancing gender equality.
Sarah Hammoud (Lebanon)
Member of the World Board and Arab Region Committee Chair, September 2022 - Present
At University, Sarah studied Nutrition Sciences combining her love of science and health with her passion for supporting others in the community. She continued her studies with a master’s degree in education, which was the starting point for her professional career as a teacher.
Being in the Movement since she was a Brownie has taught Sarah to always look forward, to be present and active whenever and wherever she can. For Sarah, being a member of the World Board and Chair of the Regional Committee will help her reach more Guides and help inspire them to reach their full potential. She is looking to put all the knowledge she has gained through the Lebanese Federation of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the Arab Region to empower others and help them to reach their goals.
Helga Mutasingwa (Tanzania)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Helga is an active member of Tanzania Girl Guide Association, currently volunteering as a Training Commissioner, supporting several WAGGGS Programmes implementation and WAGGGS Leadership Model training. She is also part of WAGGGS Core mission and Volunteering Pool and Stop the Violence Global Facilitator.
As a member of the National Executive Board of my Associationshe has been involved reviewing the budget and financial reports, and providing advice on strategic planning. In this role she works together with other volunteers, guide the staff by providing ideas as well as incorporate new ways shared by experts in the association.
Through WAGGGS Helga has had an opportunity to volunteer and collaborate with people of different cultures and nationalities in different countries. She was a programme volunteer at Our Cabaña in 2017 for five months, and facilitated Juliette Low Seminar in 2019 at Sangam World Centre. She also represented my Chief Commissioner at the African Region Conference in Rwanda and led the delegation in pitching to host the next African Conference (2022) which they won.
Josephine Mwangi (Kenya)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
An architect by profession, Josephine is a strategic thinker with a passion for driving change and finding innovative solutions to complex problems. Additionally, she also holds skills in program development, financial management and community engagement.
During her 20+ years of experience in Girl Guiding, she has held various leadership positions including, National Young Leaders’ leader, team leader- Plastic Tide Turners Project and currently serving as the Assistant Chief Commissioner, chair of the Membership Sub-Committee of the Executive Committee. As a member of the Technical Advisory Sub-Committee of the national board in Kenya, Josephine managed the development of programmes and initiatives including the new Kenya Girl Guides programme books, launched in 2022.
In her role a member of the World Board Josephine is committed to dedicating her time, energy, skills and knowledge to help WAGGGS achieve its goals and make a positive difference in the lives of girls and young women around the world.
"I am both confident and excited about this opportunity to further my volunteer work alongside other dedicated individuals who share my passion for Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting and the empowerment of girls and young women."
Debra Nakatomi (USA)
Member of the World Board, July 2021 - Present
Debra Nakatomi is a lifelong Girl Scout and advocate for gender equity. She served on the Girl Scouts of the USA National Board for 12 years, Board Secretary and 6 years as International Commissioner and Chair of the GSUSA WAGGGS Task Force working to increase capacity and resources. She has served WAGGGS and the Western Hemisphere as a Delegate, on the Diversity Committee and Chair of a WAGGGS and GSUSA Global Roundtable.
Debra leads a firm she founded dedicated to promoting equity & inclusion and advancing social change. She consults with organizations on growth and building resilience toward a sustainable future and is an advisor to CEOs on issues and crisis management. She is dedicated to expanding philanthropy and promoting health and is Trustee and former Chair of The California Wellness Foundation and Advisory Council to Peace Over Violence, dedicated to building healthy relationships free from violence. She is former Chair of the Los Angeles Women’s Foundation and the Asian Pacific Women’s Leadership Institute.
“This is such a critical moment for our movement, and our world. The pandemic has reminded us of our interdependence — in our families, communities, and our global sisterhood.”
Paula Neher(Germany)
Member of the World Board and Europe Regional Committee Chair, July 2022 - Present
Paula's journey has been one of growth, resilience, and self-discovery. As a passionate leader, she initially dedicated herself fully to her role as IC for BdP, pouring her heart and energy into the position. However, this commitment led to burnout, and Paula realized the importance of taking a step back. She transparently communicated her struggles with her board and requested a six-month break, which became a pivotal moment of personal growth. This experience taught her the value of honesty and openness, reinforcing her belief that taking a break can lead to greater achievements.
After her break, Paula returned with renewed energy, ultimately deciding to run for the Europe Committee. Her experience in WAGGGS, working with a diverse array of international volunteers and staff, has shaped her leadership style. Paula emphasizes cultural understanding and active listening, striving to avoid misunderstandings by appreciating the unique perspectives people bring. She continuously reflects on her own biases, aiming to be a more inclusive and empathetic leader.
Paula's career path also followed an unexpected trajectory. She began with a strong interest in law, but after two years, she realized it wasn’t the right fit. Embracing this realization, she switched to a degree in politics and economics, which led her into non-profit management and research—a field she now finds deeply fulfilling. This shift taught Paula that deviating from one's initial vision doesn't equate to failure, but rather can open doors to new, unanticipated opportunities. Today, she is proud of the path she has taken and the lessons learned along the way.
Signe Obel (Denmark)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
With a background in Political Communication and Management, Signe excels in navigating complex organisations and fostering teamwork among passionate volunteers. Her degree in organisational psychology supports her work in managing staff and volunteers, where she focuses on skill development and effective onboarding processes.
As a board member, Signe has played a vital role in strengthening finances and implementing sustainable budgeting practices to maintain opportunities for members. In this role she also co-chaired her organisation’s eight-year strategy development, engaging guides at all levels to set a clear direction for the future.
With a background in Political Communication and Management, Signe excels in navigating complex organisations and fostering teamwork among passionate volunteers. Her degree in organisational psychology supports her work in managing staff and volunteers, where she focuses on skill development and effective onboarding processes.
Chempaka Emalin Pahamin (Malaysia)
Member of the World Board and Asia-Pacific Region Committee Chair, August 2022 - Present
A solicitor and lawyer by profession, Chempaka has worn many hats in Girl Guiding. She has volunteered with Girl Guides Association Malaysia in different capacities and served in the Working Group of the Friends of Asia Pacific WAGGGS, three years as the Chair and three years as the Vice Chair.
Now as a World Board member and Regional Committee Chair, she aims to support Member Organisations achieve their vision, mission and goals where girls and young women will have quality girl guiding/girl scouting experience that is relevant, exciting, accessible and learner led, which will contribute towards the growth of the Region and the Movement.
Faniry Rakotoarivony (Madagascar)
Member of the World Board and Africa Region Committee Chair, August 2022 - Present
Guiding is a passion for Faniry and a very important part of her life since she joined when she was 7. She is a language instructor and a freelance translator by profession.
She is passionate about youth empowerment, especially girls and women’s. Faniry is a strong believer in girl and female empowerment as a key to making positive changes in the community and making the world a better place. She hopes to empower hundreds and thousands of girls and young women within the Africa region to experience quality guiding experience that will help them develop values and life skills that will mould them into confident, skilled, independent and responsible citizens and change agents in their respective communities.
Besides her involvement in girl guiding, she is passionate about travelling and interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Sharrada Segeran (Malaysia)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
At the age of nine, Sharrada started her journey as a brownie. Through guiding, she began her first advocacy in setting up a community library to eradicate social isolation, then I led national campaigns pushing for change at national, regional and international levels on wellbeing, discussing policies surrounding child marriage with local politicians, lobbying for youth representation in national boards and finally setting up the first youth led NGO guided by professionals in Malaysia, Mind Matters Network all while completing a double degree in medicine and medical sciences.
Further leveraging her experience as a founder and director of a national youth led NGO, She believes as a member of the World Board I will be able to engage with stakeholders to further garner strategic partnerships for the organisation, provide a fresh perspective as a young women in governance and maximise the potential of using social media as a tool for change.
While the years of experience you receive from the nominees today may be equivalent to her willing to learn young woman in the room representing the voices of hundreds and thousands of girls hoping to be given a seat at the table so that many other young women can see that they too have a place in governance. After all, decisions about us should most definitely include us. It would be an honour to be a part of an organisation that empowers girls and gives them the confidence that the world wants to hear what they have to say despite their age, ethnicity and background--there is an inclusive safe space for all.