As part of the drive to encourage more people to stand for the Council in next year’s elections, a special event is being held later this month focussing specifically on opportunities for women.
On Monday 22nd November a programme of speakers, including Deputy Political Leader Emma Macdonald and Hannah Stevens, Director of Elect Her, will be sharing their experiences and talking about the opportunities and challenges open to women in Shetland.
Hannah’s organisation works to inspire, empower and encourage women of all ages to get into politics, while Emma will talk about her path into the Council and her experiences since she decided to stand for election back in 2017. There will be information on how the process works, and on the wide range of support and training which is available to prospective and successful candidates.
The event will run from 7-8.30 p.m. at Lerwick Town Hall, and there will be the opportunity to participate remotely. It will be facilitated by the Council’s Chief Executive, Maggie Sandison. To attend, either remotely or in person, you should get in touch with the Council’s Members Support team by emailing memberssupport@shetland.gov.uk or phoning 01595 744511.
Emma says she believes there are many women who would be ideal candidates for Council: “What we need are people to come forward to represent the wider community in all its diversity, and it’s obviously extremely important to have a good gender balance.
“Being a councillor has challenged me in a very positive way, I’ve got a lot out of it personally, and I’d like more people from across the community to consider getting involved. A good spread of candidates is good for local democracy.”
Hannah says: “We need more women in elected office in every sphere of Government across Scotland. When women have access to political leadership there are gains for the whole of society, not just women. It is fantastic that Shetland Islands Council is creating space for women to have conversations about what it means to stand for the local Council, and what support is in place if you do so. We are really happy to be a partner in this initiative.”