Young women from across the nation are invited to apply for the chance to gain an exclusive perspective of an MS's day-to-day duties and experience how decisions are made in politics in Wales.
The LeadHerShip Senedd scheme, run by gender equality charity Chwarae Teg, is now open until Monday 16th January for applications. It will offer women aged 16-22 the opportunity to shadow MSs, to learn how the Senedd works, attend First Minister’s Questions and to take part in a mock debate. The aim of the programme is to dispel misconceptions about politics and remove barriers to inspire more young women to consider a career in the field.
LeadHerShip is open to young women in Wales from all backgrounds and communities and requires no previous political experience. The only requirement is that the applicant is available to participate on Tuesday 7 March at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. Young women from an ethnic minority, who consider themselves disabled, who identify as LGBTQ+, or who otherwise belong to a group that is underrepresented in public life should feel encouraged to apply.
The application itself asks women to briefly write about what the opportunity would mean to them and why they think International Women’s Day needs to be celebrated in 2023. Natasha Asghar MS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for South Wales East has partnered with Chwarae Teg to sponsor the event.
Tomos Evans, Policy and Public Affairs Partner at Chwarae Teg said:
“We have been running LeadHerShip Senedd for several years with it having gone from strength to strength.
“We know that women continue to be under-represented in politics and public life. Although
43% of our Members of the Senedd are women, this has come about more by chance than by design. There also continues to be a clear under-representation of women from diverse backgrounds in Wales’ political institutions.
“Decisions made by MSs affect every area of our daily lives, and it is crucial that women’s voices are heard to ensure that decisions are made fairly. We want to build young women’s understanding, engagement and improve their confidence to speak up and make their voices heard.”
Natasha Asghar MS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for South Wales East, said:
“I am absolutely thrilled to be sponsoring next year’s LeadHerShip Senedd – giving young women a glimpse into what it is like being a Member of the Welsh Parliament.
“Encouraging more people to get into politics, particularly women and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, has always been a project close to my heart and Chwarae Teg’s scheme is a fantastic way to do that.
“Those taking part in this fantastic initiative will be given a unique opportunity to shadow politicians in the Welsh Parliament, myself included, and learn more about some of the work we do and how the Senedd operates.
“I must say a huge thank you to Chwarae Teg for running LeadHerShip Senedd and I’d encourage any woman aged between 16 and 22 to sign up to take part.”
For further information or to apply for LeadHerShip Senedd visit https://chwaraeteg.com/projects/leadhership/#leadhership-senedd, or email any questions to [email protected]
