The Mauritius Girl Guides Association

The Mauritius Girl Guides Association is the national Guiding organization of Mauritius and a girls-only youth development association affiliated with the international Guiding movement. Its origins date to 1926, when the first Mauritian organization was established for English-speaking girls. The association’s early membership reflected the colonial social structure of the period: participation was initially limited to English-speaking girls and later extended to French-speaking girls, while membership remained restricted to girls of European descent. This restriction began to change in 1939, when the Anglican community opened its Guiding group to girls of all nationalities. The Roman Catholic community subsequently established similar groups, contributing to the development of a broader and more inclusive Guiding presence in Mauritius. The organization later expanded beyond the main island. In 1990, its activities were extended to Rodrigues Island, an autonomous outer island of Mauritius. International recognition followed in 1975, when the association became a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Through this affiliation, it forms part of the worldwide Guiding network, although the available reference material does not specify its current program structure, leadership, finances, facilities, or membership levels. A historical reference records 1,051 members in 2003. The association’s principal role is to provide a national framework for Girl Guiding in Mauritius, supporting girls through organized activities and participation in an international youth movement. It is distinct from the Mauritius Scout Association, which is the country’s associated Scouting organization.

The Mauritius Girl Guides Association traces its establishment to 1926. The original organization operated within the linguistic and social divisions of colonial Mauritius and was initially open only to English-speaking girls. Eligibility was later extended to French-speaking girls, but participation continued to be limited to girls of European descent. This history places the association within the wider development of Guiding in Mauritius, where community institutions played an important role in organizing youth groups. A significant change occurred in 1939, when the Anglican community opened its Guiding group to girls of all nationalities. This marked a move toward a more inclusive membership model. The Roman Catholic community later created comparable groups, broadening the institutional base of Guiding activities in the country. The available historical account does not provide a complete organizational chronology for the decades immediately following the Second World War, but it indicates that the association developed through multiple community-based streams rather than through a single uniform structure from the outset. The organization achieved international institutional recognition in 1975 by becoming a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Full membership connected the Mauritian association to the global Guiding movement and confirmed its status as the national member organization for Mauritius. The affiliation also distinguishes the association from local or community groups that may operate under its broader national framework. In 1990, the Mauritius Girl Guides Association expanded its scope to include Rodrigues Island. This was an important geographic development because Rodrigues is located separately from Mauritius’s main island and has its own distinct local community and administrative identity. The expansion established the association as a movement serving more than the principal island of the Republic of Mauritius. A membership figure recorded for 2003 lists 1,051 members. The available sources do not identify subsequent membership totals, current national office locations, present-day governing officers, or detailed program offerings. Accordingly, the association is best documented as a national girls’ Guiding body with historical roots in 1926, a more inclusive direction beginning in the late 1930s, international WAGGGS membership from 1975, and coverage extended to Rodrigues in 1990.

• 2003

  Recorded membership of 1,051

  [1]The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org

  A historical reference reported that the association served 1,051 members in 2003.

• 1990

  Expanded to Rodrigues Island

  [1]The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association extended its activities to Rodrigues Island, expanding its national geographic reach beyond Mauritius’s main island.

• 1975

  Joined the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts as a full member

  [1]The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association became a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, linking the national organization to the international Guiding movement.

• 1939

  Membership opened to girls of all nationalities in the Anglican group

  [1]The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The Anglican community opened its Guiding group to girls of all nationalities, beginning a broader and more inclusive phase in the development of Guiding in Mauritius.

• 1926

  Association founded

  [1]The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The original Mauritian Girl Guides Association was established, initially serving English-speaking girls.

A national, girls-only youth development and Guiding organization serving Mauritius and Rodrigues Island within the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts network.

1. 1The Mauritius Girl Guides Associationen.wikipedia.org