Chwarae Teg, a Welsh nonprofit organization, is sponsoring an event where young women between the ages of 16 and 25 will have the opportunity to shadow assembly members for political insight and experience.

The goal of the LeadHerShip project is to show women that they can play vital roles in shaping the future by observing and participating what it takes to work in leadership positions, through fields such as government and business. During the event, participants will have a chance to hear how decisions about health, education, and poverty in Wales are tackled.

“Women are still notably absent from many decision-making roles in Wales, making up just 28 percent of our MPs and councillors and 42 percent of our assembly members,” Chwarae representative Helen Bradley said.

Compared to the 28 percent of women in parliament, 42 percent of the Welsh Assembly are women – a statistic that is expected to rise in the next few years. The stark difference in female representation between parliament and assembly roles is due to how the system of representation is decided, according to Diana Stirbu, senior lecturer in public policy at London Metropolitan University.

Stirbu stated that the reason for the larger percentage of females in the assembly is because the assembly is more progressive in putting women forward than parliament elections.

“Our new LeadHerShip project offers young women in Wales a unique opportunity to get first-hand experience of what it’s like to be a politician as well as learning more about the inner workings of the Senedd and building their networks,” Bradley said.

The event is also a part of the International Women’s Day celebrations and will take place February 27th at the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A tour of the Assembly, a Q&A session, and a mock debate will also be available during the event.

Through this amazing program, women will be provided with the opportunity to step forward and make a change in the groups that hold power. With Chwarae, young women can observe the events and actions for which other notable female leaders work. They can be empowered to step into leadership roles and gain first-hand experience.

“People in these roles make decisions affecting every area of our lives and it’s important to make sure that women’s voices are listened to and that their needs are addressed,” Bradley said. “We want young women’s voices to be heard at the highest levels of Welsh politics to raise the issues that matter most to them.”

Featured Image by Les Haines on Flickr

Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

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