Guernsey Election 2025: Eleven women elected to States
The number of female deputies in the States of Guernsey is rising by three, from eight in the current assembly to 11.Deputies Lindsay de Sausmarez and Yvonne Burford topped the polls, with Sasha Kazantseva-Miller and Tina Bury coming in the top ten.Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Sue Aldwell and Victoria Oliver lost their seats.Women made up 33% of candidates this year, compared to 24% in 2020.
Outside the top 10, first-time candidate Sally Rochester came in sixteenth.She was followed by Jennifer Strachan, Munazza Malik, Jayne Ozanne and Haley Camp, who are all new to the States.Rhona Humphreys, another new candidate and member of the Forward Guernsey party, and former deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel were the last two candidates over the line.
Deputy Tina Bury was re-elected for a second term, coming eighth."It's great to see so many women at the top and more in the list as a whole. I think it has the potential to change the dynamic of the States."Tom Rylatt, a member of the Forward Guernsey party, was the youngest candidate successful in this election.He said: "I think a States that more broadly reflects our community is one that's better placed to serve our community as well."So I think it's fantastic that we have this diverse melting pot of an assembly now."
In 2020, eight women were elected, but the number was higher in 2016, with 12.Shelaine Green is the Chair of Women in Public Life, who's been credited by some candidates as a driving force behind more women standing for election.She said: "We're heading in the right direction, but we've lost three current female deputies I wasn't expecting."Mr Rylatt said, "Almost no-one has worked harder than Shelaine to increase female representation in the States.""She has made a concerted effort over the last five years."
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