Asia Pacific Region (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
The WAGGGS-Asia Pacific Region is the divisional office of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, headquartered in Makati City, Philippines; Australia; and Japan. The WAGGGS-Asia Pacific Region services Guiding in the land area of Asia south of Russia-in-Asia and the bulk of the Pacific Basin.
All the formerly communist states of Central Asia and the Soviet Union have developed or are developing Guiding in the wake of the renaissance in the region. For several years, communism repressed Guiding in Afghanistan, where it has newly returned, as well as in Mongolia, which had been the first Soviet satellite state since 1924.
This region is the counterpart of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. No WAGGGS Region is corresponding to the World Organization of the Scout Movement Eurasian Region; post-soviet nations are divided between the WAGGGS-Europe Region and the WAGGGS-Asia Pacific Region.
Member organisations
Founding members
Twelve member organizations formed the original Asia Pacific Region in 1969.Full list of member organisations
The year in the 'date joined' column refers to the year the organization was granted membership to the Asia Pacific Region of WAGGGS, not the year Guiding started in that country.Country | Member Organisation | Date joined | Number of members | Notes |
Australia | Girl Guides Australia | Founding Member | 30,000 | |
Bangladesh | Bangladesh Girl Guides Association | 1973 | 50,000 | |
Brunei Darussalam | Girl Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam | 1996 | 1,600 | |
Cambodia | Girl Guides Association of Cambodia | 2002 | 1,400 | |
Cook Islands | The Girl Guides Cook Islands Association | 1993 | 1,100 | |
Fiji | Fiji Girl Guides Association | 1981 | 1,800 | |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong Girl Guides Association | 1978 | 55,000 | |
India | The Bharat Scouts and Guides | Founding Member | 1,300,000 | Originally included present-day Bangladesh and Pakistan. BSG has a boys' section as well. The number of members here only includes their girl members. |
Japan | Girl Scouts of Japan | Founding Member | 61,000 | |
Kiribati | The Girl Guides Association of Kiribati | 1990 | 450 | |
Korea | Girl Scouts Korea | Founding Member | 78,500 | Co-educational group. Member numbers here only includes girls. |
Malaysia | Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia | Founding Member | 74,000 | |
Maldives | Maldives Girl Guide Association | 1994 | 7,500 | |
Mongolia | Girl Scout Association of Mongolia | 2005 | 1,050 | newest member organisation |
Nepal | Nepal Scouts | 1984 | 20,000 | Nepal Scouts has a boys' section as well. Numbers here include only girl members |
New Zealand | GirlGuiding New Zealand | Founding | 118,000 | |
Papua New Guinea | Girl Guides Association of Papua New Guinea | 1978 | 1,200 | |
Philippines | Girl Scouts of the Philippines | Founding Member | 671,000 | |
Singapore | Girl Guides Singapore | Founding Member | 12,300 | |
Solomon Islands | The Girl Guides Association of the Solomon Islands | 1987 | 700 | |
Sri Lanka | The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association | Founding Member | 37,000 | |
China | Girl Scouts of China | Founding Member | 28,000 | |
Thailand | Girl Guides Association of Thailand | Founding Member | 28,000 | |
Tonga | The Girl Guides Association of the Kingdom of Tonga | 1987 | 200 | |
Vietnam | Vietnamese Scout Association | not yet a member | unknown | working towards WAGGGS membership. Guiding/Scouting is forbidden under communist rule and VSA is a clandestine organisation. |