First woman elected in Jersey 75 years ago

Ivy Forster became a deputy for St Helier in 1948 - the first woman in the States Assembly

The States Assembly has marked the 75th anniversary of the first woman to be elected in Jersey.

It took 30 years after women secured the vote before Ivy Forster became a deputy for St Helier in 1948.

Mrs Forster was not the first woman to stand for election in the island - Caroline Trachy stood in 1922, but she was disqualified for her gender.

Ms Trachy fought for political reform to allow female candidates to stand, with the law changing in 1928.

Women were only permitted to vote in Jersey on an equal basis with men from 1945 - previously, women had been restricted due to age or property rights.

In 2023, the government said the current States Assembly was the "most diverse in its history" with 21 women and 28 men - and its first female chief minister.