To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, local MP Ben Lake is offering young women in Ceredigion the chance to share their views and ideas in a ‘Real Talk’ workshop, as part of Young Women’s Trust’s campaign to ensure young women are involved in decision-making at all levels.
The aim of the ‘Real Talk’ workshop is to encourage young women to engage with political and social issues to bring about change in their lives and communities. Tackling issues such as living wage, period poverty, access to mental health services and the rural challenges facing young women, the workshop will give participants the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions, challenge the status quo and offer their ideas for a better future.
The MP is inviting all women aged 16 to 30 in Ceredigion along to the Coliseum Coffee House at Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth on 8 March from 4.30pm to 6pm. Ben hopes to learn more about the issues young women are facing, particularly in a rural constituency such as Ceredigion, and then be able to take those issues back to Westminster and raise them in Parliament on their behalf.
Ben Lake MP said:
“It’s our duty, as elected representatives, to proactively engage with young women and amplify the voices of young activists - no one has more stake in creating a better, more equal future than they do.
“It’s time young people’s views were taken seriously. I know that many feel ignored by politicians of all stripes, so I want to take the chance this International Women’s Day to listen to what they have to say.
“I know that MPs make better decisions when they take the time to listen and I really hope to be able to represent the views of local young women in Parliament.”
The ‘Real Talk’ workshop will be facilitated by a group of local young women. One of those facilitators will be Nia Edwards-Behi.
Nia said:
"I'm very pleased to be part of an event like this. Women's issues were the starting point of my interest in politics, and it's important to remember that these issues are as much personal issues as they are political. The event is a brilliant opportunity for young women in the area to have their say about what concerns them most, and to express that to someone who has some power to begin to enact change. I hope the event will give hope to young women that there is a way to engage with politics without directly entering that world themselves - but, I also hope that maybe the event will inspire some to involve themselves more directly in politics, to pave the way for the changes they want to see."