We noticed with excitement recently that the Tokyo Olympic Games organising committee is aiming to have women make up 40% of its board members – giving a significant boost to the number of women on the board. This is welcome news on many levels – ladies, sport, culture, change and hopefully a hint of normality resuming.
You might not immediately link data protection with any sporting activity, but data protection by its very nature is a team activity. There are many participants on the data protection playing field and success relies upon everyone playing their part and working together.
Much has changed in the world of data protection in recent years; technology advancing at a rapid rate has created new challenges, increased skills and diversity of the people involved throughout the sector. As within the world of sport, each player has their strengths and weaknesses and is dependent upon the support of all elements within the team; physiotherapists, nutritionists, coaches, athletes, psychologists, managers and the list goes on. Everyone has to know the end game – the target and work together in order to support one another and respect each other’s strengths and roles.
Starting on our home turf we can say with pride that the Jersey Data Protection Authority (‘the Authority’) has recruited the best people to direct and oversee our regulatory activities and in so doing we have an equal balance of both men and women to collaborate in shaping data protection practices in Jersey. As the famous saying goes, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”, we all think differently and it’s important that all voices are heard. Within our office we have multiple participants contributing to the team as a whole, the Authority, Commissioners, Communications, Casework, Human Resources and Finance. We each perform to the best of our ability to ensure a successful, fair and transparent game.
That said we are not afraid to #ChooseToChallenge challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.
The question then becomes how we achieve good data protection for Jersey. The participants are the Jersey Data Protection Authority, the Government, businesses, associations, and the public. The Authority is partially referee and partially coach. Like a referee, it interprets and implements the rules. Sometimes it issues warnings and sometimes ‘awards’ penalties. Like a coach, it provides guidance and training as to how to play effectively by the rules. The Government creates the rules through the States Assembly and then must also play by the rules. Companies need to learn the rules, set up infrastructure for compliance and then follow the rules.
As a team we #ChooseToChallenge – we challenge ourselves to provide the very best as a data protection regulator, we challenge industry to focus on respecting personal information and we challenge individuals to respect their personal information. We are all key players in the team and we foster diversity and inclusion within our activities.
A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
Celebrating International Women’s Day: Anne King - Communications and Operations Manager, Sarah Moorhouse - Communications Officer and Megan Dendy - Communications and Operations Assistant
