A parliamentary reception to mark the intake of a new wave of women from ethnic minority communities who have defied odds by being elected to local government will be honoured at a House of Commons reception today.  

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone and Race Equalities Minister Andrew Stunell will meet women who took part in the groundbreaking shadowing scheme, which was last year by Operation Black Vote and the Government Equalities Office.

It paired BAME women with local councillors to help demystify the role of councillors and encourage people from more diverse background to engage with their councils.

'These new Councillors do not just want change; they have put themselves forward to make change happen.  They are role models for equality - bringing a voice to decision making that has been missing for too long, Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities said.

Sixty women took part in the scheme and 15 were so inspired that they stood for election in the 6 May poll, four of them winning seats. Many the women who took part in the scheme will be at the event, along with some of their councillor mentors.

‘BAME (black and minority ethnic) women make more than 5% of the population but less than 1% of councillors. Our democracy is supposed to be representative, rooted in the community. It won't be representative until more women like these are at the heart of decision making at a local and national level. We need all sections of society represented in politics so we can get decisions that can have a real effect on everyone,' Featherstone said.

OBV - political pioneers  

The OBV Shadowing Scheme is the first to specifically target ethnic minorities, with Shadows committing at least six working days to the project over the a  six months period.  Although unpaid this voluntary role provides one of the few gateways open to ethnic minorities into public office.

  ‘OBV are especially pleased that so many of the participants put themselves forward as candidates and are now local Cllrs. We celebrate their entrance into public life and commend the positive contributions which they are making to their local communities,'Francine Fernandes, OBV Head of Shadowing Schemes said.

Many key decisions that affect people's lives and those of their families are delivered at a local level including education, environment, health and welfare services. 

The Councillor Shadowing Scheme was introduced by OBV who first implemented the programme in Bristol back in 2005.  The campaigns group were awarded the Local Government Chronicle Award in 2006 for ‘Supporting Local Democracy' and was highly commended for the ‘Community Involvement' category.

Following their successes, the BAME Women Councillors Taskforce was launched in May 2008 by Harriet Harman, former Minister for Women and Equality.

Ethnic minority women 5% of all councillors

Previously out of 20,000 Councillors, 149 were BAME women, representing less than 1% of Councillors nationally, making it clear that those making the decisions within local authorities often in no way reflected the communities they are elected to serve. As result of this scheme and other OBV projects, OBV graduates now account for 5% of BAME women Councillors.

‘The women have blazed a trail of political success. Within a very short period of time, they have moved from political bystanders to political leaders. Their collective journeys and achievements starkly demonstrate the wealth of talent within BAME communities and defy stereotypes about women, and particularly BAME women,' Francine Fernandes said.

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone and Race Equalities Minister Andrew Stunell will give the keynote address, along with Operation Black Vote Director Simon Woolley. The event, hosted jointly by the Government Equalities Office and Operation Black Vote, will be held on Monday 14 June at the House of Commons, Terrace Room, Terrace Pavilion, Westminster.

In addition participants who took part in a Government Equalities Office (GEO) funded SOLACE 'Community Leadership Programme' will also be honoured at the event.