Research conducted by Future Guernsey suggests a worrying trend among local women disengaging from the island’s political system. The study, conducted in the summer of 2024, asked islanders whether they intend to register to vote in the 2025 election, and how likely they are to actually go to the polls.
As many as 6,093 women might be lost to the democratic process
Among the women questioned, 22% said they either “definitely” or “probably” would not register or actively vote. That’s twice the number of men (11%) who said they were unlikely to exercise their right to vote. In the context of the most recent population figures,* that translates to 6,093 women and 2,983 men who risk ruling themselves out of the democratic process.
Women aged 45+ are less likely to register to vote
When looking at age brackets, the trend against voting was more prominent among women aged forty-five and over. 28% of women in the over forty-five age group said they were unlikely to vote, double that of the number of men (14%) in the same age bracket. This trend does not translate to younger islanders, however. 13% of females aged 16 to 44 said they would likely not be registering or actively voting, compared with 8% of males.
Women less likely to feel well informed about politics in Guernsey
The research sought to find reasons as to why certain groups of islanders seem to be disengaged from local politics. When asked to agree or disagree with the statement “I feel well informed about politics in Guernsey”, less than half of women (44%) questioned agreed, versus 65% of men. A quarter (25%) of women disagreed, which is 10% more than the 15% of men who answered the same question.
The younger the islander, the less likely they are to feel well-informed about politics
Once again, there was a marked difference depending on the age of the survey respondents. 71% of men and nearly half (49%) of women over the age of 45 felt well-informed about politics, compared to just over half (53%) of men and 35% of women aged between 16 and 44.
Disengagement leads to disempowerment
Future Guernsey’s Political Adviser Gavin St Pier said,
“It’s heartening to see that younger voters are planning to register to vote and visit the polls this summer. However, the research among older voters is incredibly concerning. People clearly feel frustrated and confused and, as a result, they might be tempted to bow out of the electoral process all together. We would urge them not to do so.”
“We know that change is sorely needed, which is exactly why we founded Future Guernsey as a policy-led political movement. Islanders feel under informed, leading to a lack of understanding and, potentially, disengagement. We want to change that by setting out a well-researched, clear and deliverable manifesto, which we hope will help to re-engage those voters who have become disenchanted.”
Silence will not lead to progress
Future Guernsey’s Chief Executive, Lindsey Freeman said,
“It’s particularly concerning to see that as many as two in ten of the women we spoke with claim they won’t be exercising a right which our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought so hard for. We must try to reverse this trend and re-engage women as voters, candidates and advocates for change. We realise people are frustrated, but women silencing their own voices is not an effective route towards progress.”
Islanders urged to register to vote by 30th April 2025
The States of Guernsey’s election team is currently conducting a campaign to ensure that people register on the Electoral Roll by 30th April, to allow them to cast their votes in the island’s general election in June 2025. Islanders can register at www.election2025.gg
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Research was conducted between 31st July and 31st August 2024 and included x4 focus groups broken out by age category: 19–29, 30–44, 45–64, 65+ and x2 friendship triads with young people aged 16-18. In addition, a telephone survey of 250 Guernsey residents between 17-29 Aug was conducted to further explore and validate qualitative findings. Phone interviews surveyed a random sample of Guernsey residents, with broad representation across key demographic categories.
*Population figures are based upon most recent data available, which is the count from 31.12.2023 as provided by The States of Guernsey Data and Analysis Team.
