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Islanders working across the emergency services, Government, creative industries and media are today aiming to #BreakTheBias for International Women’s Day.
The global awareness day, held each year on 8 March, aims to celebrate the achievements of women globally and locally and raise awareness about equality.
The States of Jersey Police says it believes that being a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce is important, and it is today celebrating the achievements of women in the Force across all roles and ranks.
For the duration of International Woman’s Day, there will be an entire shift comprising of all female police officers to represent and symbolise the change within the force.
In addition to this, Police Chief Robin Smith is stepping aside for the day to enable Detective Superintendent Alison Fossey to take charge as Police Chief.
Det Supt Fossey said: “We’ve made great progress in breaking down bias from a time when women weren’t deemed suitable to be police officers.
"Now women represent 42% of our workforce across the organisation."
Photo: Detective SuperIntendent Alison Fossey
This year marks a significant time for the SoJP as they welcome their 70th anniversary.
“Gender isn’t an obstacle in our organisation, we have women working in all departments, roles and ranks and we continue to strive to be a diverse and inclusive organisation," the Force said.
Jersey's Fire and Rescue Service also said it was "proud to be supporting International Women's Day 2022."
They highlighted firefighter Georgina Connor, who they said had "shown that gender is no barrier when it comes to pursuing your dream career."
The Government, which this year welcomed its first ever female CEO, also highlighted the achievements of its female workforce for International Women's Day.
"Women throughout Government are working as Engineers, Firefighters, Prison Officers, Directors and network leaders," they said.
Speaking about their aims when it comes to gender equality, they added: "We're proud of our 'Inspiring Women into Leadership and Learning' (I WILL) initiative. Whether it's mentorship, shadowing, hearing from inspirational speakers or participating in our Board Apprenticeship scheme, we aim to support and inspire women to actively pursue their career goals.
"We are also helping to increase awareness and understanding around Menopause, to inspire and motivate staff in creating a working environment where employees experiencing the symptoms of Menopause feel able to seek and access the support they need."
Local women working in the media have also come together this week to #BreakTheBias.
As the media industry is often considered to be a male-dominated arena, 3C International's Jess Troy yesterday coordinated a collaborative photo shoot with fellow female creatives.
Speaking to Express, they emphasised the importance of collaboration and supporting each other as a community.
Pictured - left to right: When the camera is turned on the camera women... Lisa Gaudion (ITV), Georgia Robinson (Submarine Creative), Jess Troy (3CI), Vicky Hall (ITV), and Rowena Marner (ITV).
ITV Channel's Rowena Marner said it was "great to have women representing behind the scenes media", while Vicky Hall said it she was delighted to know there as a "community with women in the industry."
Tomorrow's Chamber of Commerce Lunch at the Royal Yacht will also aim to reinforce the #BreakTheBias message.
Sponsored by Mourant, the event will discuss the topics of diversity and inclusion and why it is a priority to discuss at board level.
Picture: The Jersey Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a lunch to mark the week of International Women's Day on Wednesday 9th March.
Keynote speaker Kate Wright, Co-Founder of the Diversity Network, will discuss the importance of gender equality and aim to make sense of buzzwords such as ‘Equity vs Equality', 'intersectionality', 'allyship' and 'purposeful action’.
She will also be sharing some practical steps and tools that employers, no matter their size or industry, can employ to have real impact in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Chamber of Commerce CEO Murray Norton commented: "As a Chamber of Commerce that acts as an intermediary between Government, local business, and the general public representing large institutions to small and medium sized businesses, we benefit from having a diverse and inclusive membership.
"We aim to further support and grow the connectivity and diversity of our Chamber network and are delighted to be shining a spotlight on this important topic. We are pleased to offer attendees the opportunity to network, connect, and gain valuable learnings and resources to enhance their diversity and inclusion practices in the local business community."
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