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.”
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 has been a leader in non-profits for almost 15 years - with roles in administration at several universities and most recently as Director of Programmes for a national social mobility charity in the UK.
"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."
Caroline Brown (UK)
Regional Chair and member of the World Board, July 2025 - Present
As a District Commissioner in her Member Organisation, Caroline has supported her local guiding team to make decisions in line with their policies and governance structures. She has experience advising volunteers on safeguarding, financial accountability and trustee responsibilities. In her association, she's participated in high-level governance discussions and decision making, giving her a strong understanding of how policy, process and people intersect in volunteer-led organisations.
As a lead volunteer on the GOLD project, Caroline has worked closely with staff, volunteers and international partners, all with different roles and responsibilities. She has led multiple volunteer teams in both guiding and her career, focussing on support, flexibility and creating space for everyone to thrive.
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.
Helga Mutasingwa (Tanzania)
Member of the World Board, July 2023 - Present
Helga is an active member of the Tanzania Girl Guides Association, currently volunteering as a Training Commissioner, where she supports the implementation of several WAGGGS programmes and facilitates WAGGGS Leadership Model training. She is also part of the WAGGGS Core Mission and Volunteering Pool and serves as a Stop the Violence Global Facilitator.
As a member of the National Executive Board of her association, Helga has been involved in reviewing budgets and financial reports, and providing advice on strategic planning. In this role, she collaborates with other volunteers, guides staff by providing ideas, and incorporates innovative approaches shared by experts within the association.
Through WAGGGS, Helga has had opportunities to volunteer and collaborate with people from diverse cultures and nationalities across multiple countries. She served as a programme volunteer at Our Cabaña in 2017 for five months, and facilitated the Juliette Low Seminar in 2019 at Sangam World Centre. She also represented her Chief Commissioner at the African Region Conference in Rwanda and led the delegation in pitching to host the next African Region Conference in 2022, a bid that was successfully 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.”
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.
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.