Project to boost numbers of black, Asian and minority ethnic women in Scottish politics hosts Glasgow event

The Parliament Project is a non-partisan initiative that seeks to inspire, empower and encourage women to run for political office in the UK. It runs information and skills building events and offers peer networking to support women to get elected. Since summer 2016, the Parliament Project has delivered workshops to women in England and Scotland.

Lee Chalmers, founder and co-director of the Parliament Project, said: “In an era of fake news, it is the facts that startle.

“There are huge numbers of women out there who could be getting ready to run for office; we meet them every day - yet women make up only 36 per cent of the Members of the Scottish Parliament and 24 per cent of the Councillors.

“In the twenty years since the birth of the Scottish Parliament we have never seen a black, Asian or minority ethnic woman taking a seat.

“The Parliament Project is a confidence-builder, a safe space for women of all political colours and none, to explore and develop their political ambitions in a workshop setting which inspires participants to build networks, affirm personal goals and develop the skills required to stand for elected office.”

Bailie Soryia Siddique, Scottish Labour Councillor for Southside Central on Glasgow City Council, said: “Looking forward to facilitating BAME Women in Scottish Politics event. Since the opening of Scottish Parliament, there has been no Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic woman elected. BAME women are underrepresented in many sections of society and it appears easy to ignore. Time is now, for that to change. Join the change.” The Glasgow workshop ‘BAME Women in Scottish Politics’ will take place at Amina Muslim Women’s Resoure Centre, Citywall House, 32 Eastwood Avenue, Glasgow, at 10am on Tuesday, March 3.

The event is open to all women of colour, visibly Muslim women or ethnic minority women.

The workshop will be faciliated by Bailie Soryia Siddique, Scottish Labour Councillor for Southside Central on Glasgow City Council and Mahrukh Shaukat from Amina.

For further information visit the Parliament Project website