I can’t speak about the GSA, but up here in Canada, we have Scouts Canada (not Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts), and Girl Guides as a separate organization.
The two were very similar (although, even since I was a kid, girls were allowed to join the Scouts), until a fatal incident in 2003.
From what I hear, the Guiding organization in Canada is now a lot more risk-averse than the Scouts are, and focused on more traditionally “female” activities. When they do go out and do “risky” outdoor activities, there is a lot more paperwork involved, including making qualified instructors for an activity re-submit their qualifications before each instance of an activity, and, if one activity is cancelled at an outing, not allowing those Guides to transfer to another activity at the same outing (because that’s not what they’d signed up for).
Admittedly, this is all things that I’ve heard second- and third-hand, but my Cub pack has had a Girl Guide quit Guides and join us, finding Scouting a lot more fun than Guiding.
