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Jersey's first female Chief Minister has revealed how taking on the island's top job dramatically shifted her perspective on the extra work women have to do to be heard and respected.
Kristina Moore was one of scores of women in politics across the Channel Islands who candidly shared their experiences, ranging from workplace discrimination to social media abuse and the childcare juggle with Express for International Women's Day today.
With this year's themes being 'inspiring inclusion' and 'no representation without participation, Express asked politicians in Jersey and Guernsey about the unique pressures facing women in politics, online abuse and the role of gender, the policies and legislation that had brought them the most pride, the issues for women most often overlooked and their advice to future generations.
The responses were mixed – while many thought discrimination of varying levels or additional gender-based challenges had clearly played a part in their careers, others felt that being a woman impacted their lives and careers in a much less significant way.
Here, Express shares all of their replies, unfiltered...
You have to be in it to win it. That’s always been my approach to life and that’s why my slogan on International Women’s Day is 'no representation without participation'.
Being involved in politics is really interesting, it is an honour to represent islanders and make decisions that can transform lives within our community and define our future. I would encourage everyone to consider it, or get involved with a group, or topic that interests you.
As the leader of the first gender balanced Council of Ministers I hope that we were able to inspire others to consider a role in politics, either by seeking election or supporting groups
Not enough people in the island participate in political life, this is demonstrated by consistently low turnout at elections. Too often people say that they feel there is no point as the old boy’s club rules.
Until recently I have rarely felt that my gender played a part in my career. I have always felt that I have been treated with an equal amount of respect in the workplace and progress was merit based. Perhaps it was the personalities I had to work with, or perhaps the pervasive discrimination I had managed to avoid for almost 50 years just became more obvious in a senior role, but I became very aware that women have to work harder to have their voices heard at the table and there are some who naturally cast to the male eyes and voices around them, avoiding the women.
Voices from different corners of our diverse, kind and ambitious community should be heard in order to inform decision making. That is why my government worked to improve engagement so it could take decisions that best reflect the needs of the whole community.
We implemented progressive changes and were working up further policy changes to support families, the young and the old through our relentless focus on the issues of the day, the cost of living, housing and recruitment and retention. That delivered increases in child allowances, more support for people on low incomes, improvements in education and a shared equity scheme.
Politics around the world is under pressure as views are being polarised by those pushing extreme views and fuelling hate and distrust. The only way to combat such forces is to build support and bring people together to define the future that we want as a community. And yes, that’s means taking part!
In your view, what are the unique pressures faced by women in politics?
I find this difficult to answer because I don't feel that I am under any different pressure than male colleagues. We may feel we have to pay the "hair and makeup tax" that Hilary Clinton identified (and I think that is the reality, as you are expected to look a certain way, but that applies to all professional women). I don't feel that I have encountered gender-based pressures or biased behaviour. I have, however, spent a long time working at senior level in male dominated sectors and have been the "only woman in the room" on countless occasions during my career, so perhaps am able to deal with it.
Politicians often, wrongly, face abuse on social media – have you ever experienced this, and have you felt more targeted/vulnerable because of your gender?
I have not faced any abuse on social media (I only really use LinkedIn and X). People will comment on policy decisions and things you say where they disagree but I have not received any personally abusive messages. I haven't felt particularly vulnerable as a woman.
To what extent is a political career compatible with family life and what changes, if any, could be made to support this?
I can't really comment here as I don't have children but there is a perception that being a Deputy is a "part-time" job and fairly flexible. If you are appointed to a ministerial position it is full-time and more but the pressures will be felt by other parents in full time employment. Politics can involve more evenings and weekends so those do have to be factored in. The Assembly is fairly consistent with start and finish times, so that members can make plans for families.
My particular bugbear is early morning/breakfast events – these don't work for anyone with caring responsibilities or school run duties and could exclude women for that reason. I complain about this all the time!
Is there a particular piece of legislation and/or policy work you are particularly proud of due to its impact for women and/or girls on the island?
Generally speaking, I am very proud that we were able to make a £20 reduction in the costs of a GP visit last year. Although people like to criticise it, the free period product scheme has worked well (empty containers are evidence that products are being taken, so there is a demand that is being met). The fact that women and girls can go to multiple venues across the island and pick up the products they need without charge will be enormously valuable and a real saving for people with low incomes. We are only the second jurisdiction in the world to try this and I do believe it is a real benefit; the scheme will involve and improve over time.
What issues affecting women are most frequently overlooked?
I think we would benefit from better information and education about health issues (gynae and period issues start from a young age; heart issues are not well understood in women) and encouraging women to participate in sport and other physical activity.
There is a lot of focus on flexibility in the workplace for parents but the potential downside is that those without children feel that they are picking up extra work – workplace flexibility needs to benefit everyone.
What would be your advice to young women who are thinking of pursuing a political career?
Go for it!
The only problems I’ve had due to sexism/misogyny are to do with those people who cannot cope with a woman not agreeing with them.
There is a small group of vociferous, older men in Jersey who react to disagreement with personal comments and inaccurate statements.
They use terms like "shameful" and "pathetic" rather than engaging in discussion. They cannot accept that a woman might know more than them on a subject so they say she is "masquerading" as an expert. They will use terms in their letters like "the lady in question". These men are not generally on social media and their comments are published in letters and articles to the Jersey Evening Post.
Life as a woman in politics...
As a politician I am always in the public eye and every moment being watched. When people meet me, they know with absolute certainty, I didn't get my position by being part of any old boys club and I hope they realise it's often and usually harder for a woman to get to the top and to get universal respect from your colleagues.
The same personal qualities are seen in different light: for example male politician being kind is a strength and a woman's kindness is often interpreted as a weakness.
Assertive female politicians are often perceived as aggressive, when assertiveness of male politicians is a norm.
Being a straight-talking, no messing about, driven, hard working assertive man is celebrated, it is not always celebrated quite as much if you are a woman.
A policy you are proud of...
Equal parental rights which allowed equal paternity and maternity leave. For me, helping dads helps mums – an equal society is the best for everyone.
Social media...
I have often faced abuse over social media, sometimes from men and sometimes from women and sometimes from anonymous accounts.
Most of the time I get the feeling that people are frustrated by the government processes and outcomes.. Some have apologised and I accept these apologies. At other times these attacks have been sinister and have made me afraid to walk down the King street on my own, this is normally during the elections.
Advice...
If any women are interested in politics, start being aware of it, listen to debates, visit the chambers, speak to politicians at events and stand in an election. I was not elected on my first attempt so don't give up.
It can be a very rewarding position and a very upsetting position on the same day so be prepared for a rollercoaster ride. I have had young people shadowing for a day and I always would welcome it if women would like to experience a day in a politician's life, please contact Greffe and this can be arranged.
The pressures...
I think female politicians in Jersey right now find themselves operating in very interesting times.
In my view the number of women elected to the current Assembly is a sign that the electorate wanted a more balanced representation. A lot of the pressures female politicians face in Jersey is working in an historically male dominated environment where the views of women are still considered inferior in some quarters to the more traditional male view of the world.
Women are under pressure to go that extra mile to prove we can be equally influential, capable of effecting change and bringing a meaningful contribution to island life - there is still a long way to go to achieve equal regard and respect.
The best thing about being a female politician is being inspired by the efforts, ideas and contributions that come from the perspective of being a woman and being involved and able to connect to the work politicians are doing to improve women's lives and their wider community.
Abuse
Yes I have experienced it - the abuse is a prominent feature of island politics. It comes from Facebook followings and individuals from certain lobby groups. What amazes me is that most of the people who make these comments don't know me or have never met me yet believe it perfectly ok to make abusive comment about me. It is one of the reasons I choose not to use social media to communicate the work I do and what I stand for which kind of goes against the grain...but protecting myself from these abusers is important for my own wellbeing. It's a kind of sick entertainment that people like to indulge in which I will never understand and why I no longer read what they say..
Politics and family life
I think it is fair to say that the public become your family when you are elected so it takes enormous effort to protect time for your family life. I think some changes could be made to improve things particularly when it comes to leave arrangements and child/relative caring responsibilities
Policies of pride
Yes before the recent Vote of No Confidence I committed in my ministerial plan to improve women's health and set up and chaired a ministerial working group to develop Jerseys first women's health strategy which I hope will continue under this government . I had also initiated a review of the termination of pregnancy law and set about seeking women's views and the views of others on these proposals. I have also met with a local charity and another assembly member to seek ways to improve the service for women and their partners seeking support for assisted reproduction.
I am also pleased that improvements to maternity care have been made through the efforts of HCS colleagues and driven the improvements in the governance of our health service which I hope will provide safer and more effective services for women.
Issues that are overlooked
Advice for the women in politics of the future...
The unique pressures...
I think all politicians in Jersey face unique challenges, bigger or smaller, because we are part of the community and therefore very visible and contactable.
The stigma against women in politics is still alive at times, and you can see that through some comments from the public or on social media. Generally, it feels that women in politics continue to face structural, socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural barriers; not so much from colleagues, as from the system set-up and collectively we are working on removing some of these barriers.
The part I like about being in politics, as a women and mother, is being able to translate into proposals for policies the struggles seen or experienced that women face on daily bases, which makes it more difficult for them to thrive. I believe that when women are seeing representation for them at political level, having there a voice to speak for them, gives them more reassurance that stereotypes regarding women can be challenged, and I'm happy I am able to ongoing advocate for this, to try changing the related bias thinking.
Without excluding the fact that men can also have more attention to details and be empathetic in their decisions making, in my walk of life I find that these traits are more common in women and for this reason, having more women at political decisions making level can only bring a plus.
Social media abuse...
This happened to a number of women candidates leading up to and after the last election, where we targeted with abuse online. Collectively we reported the matter to the police and he was cautioned. I do not have any problem about receiving robust and constructive comments about policy issues, however, personal attacks are inappropriate.
In the current role, being a public person, I do feel more exposed, never knowing who and in what mood will turn up at our constituency surgeries, or even at my home, near my family. Beside at times being undermined in certain circumstances for being a woman, if you add other minority characteristics to being a woman (i.e. of rase, different nationality or being neurodiverse), the attitude towards that person can be even worse.
It is never okay to ignore such bad behaviour and I would encourage anyone experiencing anything like that to speak up, to challenge this behaviour, to report it and to also do this for the ones unable to do it for themselves, if witnessing it.
Politics and family life...
The political machine works from early morning to late evenings over 7 days a week, so it's a juggling act to achieve an appropriate work / life balance to which there are no easy answers and does come with many personal sacrifices.
As in the majority of cases, in a family with children the mother is usually by default the main carer for both the kids and the house, a great deal of support would be for the political working system to understand that a diverse Assembly comes with diverse needs and the requirements need to be flexible to adapt the way we're working and adapt the time where needed as well, for working in a more effective and productive way. The gift of time comes with appropriate support, and to me, for each State member to have a dedicated support officer/personal assistant would enable much more work to be delivered sooner.
Work that has made you proud...
Our work in the Diversity forum, International Cultural Centre and the Political Awareness Education committees, along addressing the general Diversity and Inclusion aspects, also advocates for gender equity and equal opportunities both inside and outside the political spectrum.
As Chair of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative steering group and Breastfeeding Guardian for Jersey we're working on measures to enable parents to take informed decisions, based on accurate, consistent information across different related departments and to have access to that specialised advice when needed.
Related, but separately than this group, I have been involved even before being in politics on collaborating with the then Social Security Minister on the latest parental leave policy, which improved massively the support for new parents and offering women the choice of staying longer at home with their new born or pursuing their career further.
On the same note I also had a proposition passed to bring back additional parental support for parents with pre-mature babies and longer in neonatal care.
I am also pleased that as a committee member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and of Assemblee parlementaire de la francophonie -Commission de Femmes I also had and having the chance to influence and shape the gender equity work and policies at international level and equally us in Jersey to learn from best practices from other jurisdictions.
On this aspect, I was already able to share internationally Jersey's important report and recommendations on Violence Against Women and Gilrs and brought the chair of the taskforce as speaker to one of the global CWP webinar to discuss those findings and solutions in more details and she was also able to write a related article in the CPA global magazine, rolling the conversation further.
What issues are often overlooked?
Perhaps it's that women are still the main carers in the family, whether that's for children or elderly parents or other family, so you can get pulled in different directions at the same time but need to stay focused.
Another aspect easily overlooked is what was highlighted in the findings of the VAWG report, that at society level, there's still too valid the "woman is to be blamed for" culture if they are harassed or attacked in any way. No one is to be blamed for a bad behaviour than the person displaying that behaviour and no excuse would justify it, as it's in the control and choice of that person how to act. Have we ever wondered why if the scenario is swapping how many would question if man were to be blamed for if harassed by women? That speaks volume that this is not the right approach, and that this mentality needs to shift.
Your advice for the next generation?
Go for it - but do your homework - try to gather as much background information as possible. Think at the reasons that made you want to get into politics and what you could bring into such role.
Definitely talk to the States Greffe who will walk & talk you through the process about standing for election and beyond.
Also talk to existing or former States Members for having different perspectives of what it means to be a politician in Jersey, what's expected from you and considering all these points, assess if this continues to be the route suitable for you.
If the answer is yes, please do get in touch and I'll be more than happy to share my experience with you and offer my support in preparing your campaign.
We inspire women inclusion, by empowering one another!
The unique pressures...
Unique pressures are those of childcare and caring for family and elderly relatives. Especially hard when there are unexpected last minute meetings. You need to have a great 'support network!' Sometimes I feel I am 'short-changing' my family, in terms of the time I have to devote to them compared to the job ( but this probably applies to everyone.)
Best thing is being given the opportunity to represent Islanders in your District and to feel that Women have a voice. There is real camaraderie amongst States Deputies who are women. I feel incredibly privileged.
Social media...
I am really fortunate not to have experienced any problems (but tend not to use Social media.).
Politics and family life...
Think it is the same for us all, regardless of gender. There are pretty long and unpredictable hours, varying daily, and lots of reading, but Family life keeps you grounded.
Your advice?
Grab the opportunity. Make a difference. You won't regret it.
Changes that have been made or are in progress as a result of my campaigning/propositions - breastfeeding rights in the workplace and in public and improved breastfeeding support, improved parental leave, raising awareness of the gender pay gap, raising the funded NEF hours from 20 to 30 hours, increasing targeted nursery hours for two top three-year-olds, raising the child care tax allowance, and for queer women the legislation I lodged recently to equalise parental rights for same sex parents, this will have a huge impact on the lives of those families if it is approved
Financial/economic abuse is a huge problem in our island and is mostly invisible. The VAWG Taskforce Report educated me on this issue and I urge all women (and men) to read it
I have made changes through my work with the Diversity Forum to make the States Assembly a more family-friendly institution. We now usually decide by lunchtime if we need to sit late in the evening to allow members to make childcare arrangements. I also brought changes to standing orders to allow members to be excused with the permission of the Bailiff, for reasons of parental responsibility. This allows members to balance all their responsibilities.
The unique pressures...
I don't think these pressures are unique to women in politics (as opposed to women in certain other sectors), but women in Guernsey's government are in a very significant minority: 80% of States members are male. Despite that, and despite the fact that a much higher proportion of female deputies have school-aged children or other caring responsibilities compared with our male peers, the women in the Assembly have taken on a disproportionately high level of responsibility. All the women are either presidents, vice-presidents (sometimes both!) or sit on more than one committee, so we really pull our weight!
Social media abuse...
Yes, but I'm not sure to what extent it is because I'm a woman: I suspect many of my male colleagues probably experience similar.
Politics and family life...
I have four school-aged children (two at primary school and two at secondary school) and I manage to balance my busy home life and responsibilities as a mum with senior roles in the States (although much of that is down to the fact that my husband takes on a lot of child-related and domestic responsibility too). The States is more family-friendly than many workplaces: parliament doesn't sit during school holidays, for example, and we can organise our committee meetings around other commitments to a reasonable degree. The majority of the committee of which I'm president are parents of school-aged children, in fact.
Last term I was also the first female to have a baby whilst a deputy (I think), so I'm pleased to say that there is now much better provision for other new mums, and indeed new dads, compared to what there was previously.
Overlooked issues...
The cost of childcare. It affects many families with young children, but data shows that the effects are felt most acutely by women, who tend to be the parent that takes the hit in terms working, income and future career prospects in order to stay at home if they have no choice because they can't afford childcare. The evidence shows us that this is having a negative on our economy: at exactly the time we're trying to increase productivity, we know that there is a cohort of people (who are much more likely to be women) who want to work, or work more than they are currently able to, but can't because we don't have accessible, affordable childcare. As a government, we invest less in pre-school and early years support than any other comparable jurisdiction, yet we know that this kind of investment drives better social and economic outcomes. This is something I hope we can address.
Unique pressures...
Many women, have family commitments, and the most important consideration is to have good family and friend support in the background, when thinking of standing.
Politicians often, wrongly, face abuse on social media – have you ever experienced this, and have you felt more targeted/vulnerable because of your gender? For self-preservation and the need to sleep at night! I do very little social media, if any Islander wishes to telephone or email on something specific subject, I am always happy to have a chat.
Politics and family life...
Guernsey helps with meetings planned around school holidays and start at 9.30am to allow children to be dropped off to school and finish at 5.30pm.
Policies of pride...
I am hugely proud that Home Affairs have brought this term a whole suite of legislation on Domestic Abuse, protecting victims and also putting in place the SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) and we are looking at facilitating a new refuge, along with supporting Poppy Murray a campaign on safety in the night time economy.
Social media abuse...
Honestly I don't think it is a major issue. I've only experienced a small number of abusive posts in the 12 years since I was elected and don't think it is a systemic problem.
Politics and family life...
I think it is quite compatible with States meetings planned around school holidays.
Policies of pride...
I am proud of what we achieved at HSC, bringing in free under-21 contraception which has resulted in a dramatic reduction in teenage pregnancies, free cervical smear testing and the modernisation of the abortion law.
Overlooked issues...
I think at the moment that the cost and availability of child care is a major issue which limits women's opportunities to participate in the workplace and something that Deputy Kazantseva-Miller and myself are looking to do something about.
Social media abuse...
In the Guernsey context, I would not agree with the premise of the question that politicians "often" face abuse on social media. I haven't felt specifically targeted on social media for being female, although there is no doubt that across the world female politicians do receive a level of abuse, including threats of a sexual nature, that their male counterparts do not. In a small community like Guernsey this is thankfully rare. I try to engage with people on social media and find that this helps defuse issues.
Politics and family life...
I think it can be very compatible with family life. States meetings are generally not held in school holidays and, unlike some other parliaments, we don't sit late into the evening. Most deputies have children (of varying ages), including all of the current female deputies.
Policies of pride...
In the 2012-16 term I was successful with an amendment and other work that led to some improvements in maternity pay and leave issues. By means of amendments I also prevented funding for victims of domestic abuse from being significantly scaled back.
Overlooked issues...
We are all products of our own experiences and, therefore, it is true that having more women in the Assembly makes it much more likely that issues affecting women are given fairer consideration.
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