An innovative mentorship programme aims to boost representation across Welsh democracy. With another three years of funding announced, how does it help women and other minority groups to step into political and public life?
When Beth saw an Instagram post in 2021 by Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales it was a stroke of luck. As a Welsh woman interested in gender equality, she was an ideal candidate for the free, mentoring programme being advertised. Better still, it was perfect timing. Beth was making plans to stand in her local elections, and this was an opportunity for women and other minority groups looking to build their skills and networks.
After successfully applying, she joined the 2021-2022 cohort of Equal Power Equal Voice (EPEV), a mentorship initiative with a mission to diversify Welsh public life. “I never thought I’d run as a local councillor, but that programme gave me the confidence to [feel] I can actually do this,” says Beth.
The programme works by targeting people from politically underrepresented groups in Wales and helping them to build the skills and confidence needed for leadership and decision-making roles. As well as training opportunities, participants benefit from one-to-one mentoring with prominent figures including Members of the Senedd, MPs, local councillors, and senior leaders from public and voluntary sectors.
Beth joined a diverse and ambitious cohort made up of women, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people and Black, Asian and ethnic minority people. Upon joining, each was assigned to one of the four advocacy organisations involved in the scheme, depending on personal goals and background.
Women and people from minority groups may face additional entry barriers to public facing positions. While this can include forms of discrimination, one hurdle EPEV tackles is helping people from all backgrounds develop the confidence and knowledge to face public scrutiny.
“Programmes like Equal Power Equal Voice are vital for building a more representative Wales,” says Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, announcing £185,000 of Welsh government funding for the scheme over the next three years.
Commenting on International Women’s Day (8 March), Hutt said, “When young girls see women in leadership positions, they can envision those possibilities for themselves. This is how we build a future where Welsh public life truly reflects the diversity of our communities”.
For Beth, building self-confidence and knowledge of Welsh governance were standout benefits of the programme. She says, “it helped me a lot with confidence and to network with like-minded people who really uplift each other. It really showed me that you can do it, and you do belong here”.
Beth and another participant applied their new skills and knowledge to their 2022 local election campaigns as the first ever Welsh political candidates for the Women’s Equality Party.
“Equal Power Equal Voice really helped us to get that knowledge of how the Welsh government works and the UK parliament works and all the nitty gritty bits in between,” she says.
Beth’s experience lends support to the Welsh government’s hope that this round of funding will help strengthen democratic representation in the parliament elections next year.
“Through its workshops on political candidacy, board leadership, and campaigning for social change, this programme is creating a strong pipeline of diverse leaders for the 2026 Senedd elections, corporate and public boards, and school governing bodies,” says Jane Hutt.
Demographic data on political representation in Wales indicates the nation has a long way to go until meeting its diversity and inclusion ambitions. For example, while the appointment of Eluned Morgan MS First Minister is a milestone for female representation at the upper levels of government, women make up just 9% of local council leaders and only one woman of colour has been elected to the Senedd in over 20 years of devolution.
It is also clear that if Welsh political leaders are seriously about strengthening representation, they need to address the patchy data collection plaguing efforts to monitor progress.