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Taskforce launched to increase Asian and black women councillors

21/ 5/2008

MINISTER for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman, has launched a new taskforce to help more black, Asian and ethnic minority women to become councillors.

She wants to see local authorities 'more representative' of the community they serve.

The taskforce will be chaired by Baroness Uddin, the first Muslim woman in the House of Lords and a prominent figure in the black and Asian community. Members will include councillors from across Britain, from all ethnicities and political parties.

Only around 168 out of 20,000 councillors are black, Asian or minority ethnic women. This is less than one per cent, despite the fact they make up more than 5% of the population.

To be fully representative this needs to increase more than five fold to around 1000 minority ethnic women councillors. At the current rate of increase this could take more than 130 years.

The taskforce will take practical action to address the under-representation.

This will include mentoring, outreach events in community centres to make the role of councillors more widely known and better understood, working with organisations including the Local Government Association, Operation Black Vote and the Fawcett Society to develop awareness training, establish networking groups, work with local councils, political parties to improve the recruitment, training and selection of candidates.

Said Miss Harman: "Empowering black, Asian and minority ethnic women in public life is a key priority for the government. They are a force for good within their communities, and in building bridges between communities. Their contribution must be better recognised and supported.

"And we need our local councils to better reflect the local community.

"It’s not just about people’s right to be a councillor, it’s about making local government better, making decision making better, more understanding of communities that services are being provided for. You have better informed decision making if you have all members of the community represented.

"But it’s important not just to have Black and Asian councillors, but also to support them, because it’s more difficult if you are a pioneer, in a minority. So we have to recognise it’s not just about getting them in, but to make sure that our Black and Asian women councillors have the proper support and we recognise their role as pioneers in taking this forward."

Baroness Uddin, Chair of the new Councillors Taskforce, added: "I'm delighted to have been asked to chair this new taskforce, local government is an important route to strengthening and shaping all our lives. I hope in the coming year ahead we will be able to work with women across all the communities by encouraging and inspiring their participation. Our ambition is simple in that we wish to see an increased numbers of women councillors, and I am glad to have the full backing of the government in order to achieve this ambition".