Bridging the Gap

Bridging the Gap event was held at Portcullis House on 2 July 2013, which can best be described as a powerhouse of Britain’s strongest and most successful political females.

Alumni and UpRising team members with the panelists

Present was Jo Swinson MP, Junior Equalities Minister and under Secretary of State of Employment and Consumer Relations, Dr Caroline Lucas MP, Britain’s first elected Green MP, Claire Perry MP, Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Defence and Special Advisor to Prime Minister Cameron on female exploitation issues, and the host Angela Eagle MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.  From the panel it is fair to say Britain’s frontline political landscape has changed in the last 20 years but most interestingly a leading civil servant for the Department of Communities and Local Government was also female. Helen Edwards CBE was the most interesting speaker, reminding me, it is not necessary to be in the media spotlight to be a successful female in political office.

The panel chaired by our very own Andrea Cooper discussed the lack of ethnic minority and female participation in the modern political system. They acknowledged the obstacles and guided, a very interested audience, on how to overcome these to achieve our potential. The panel tackled very difficult topics including how to bridge the gap between main stream politics and Britain’s diverse communities, including the most deprived ones. Both inclusion and participation were on the table for discussion, as were the personal experiences of these successful political figures and their concerns. It was a rare opportunity to hear about the challenges they faced, including being mistaken for an intern, encouraging women not conform to society’s stereotypes and to have their own opinions, and their hopes for more females from our generation to become leaders in politics, business and finance.

“It is very encouraging to see a group of talented young people from UpRising so excited and so  interested in the political life of the country . Our society has come a long way in terms of equality but there is still a lot more to be done. The torch is now with the young people in the audience today to make that happen.”

– Helen Edwards CBE, Director General, Localism for Department for Communities and Local Government

After the group discussion I was given the opportunity to meet and network with the panel and had a very in depth conversation with Helen Edwards CBE.  During the course of the evening, It had struck me that not a single panel member was from an ethnic minority, the question I asked Helen, was it enough that the panel was all female?  No it was not enough! Helen and Angela Eagle MP reaffirmed that they both wanted to do more to encourage more diversity in the civil service and especially in the Parliament. Our conversation went on for some time, and the more they said the more inspired I became to do something to represent women in multi-cultural British Politics.

Natasha Shaikh is a member of UpRisng’s alumni group, the Emerging Leaders Network.