For me, there was a happy coincidence of timing in that the council elections came along just
when I felt a need to seek fresh opportunities and purpose for my life, being an age where my
children were leaving home and retirement was on the horizon.

The difficult part was putting my name forward in the first place. Once I had done that, I had good support especially from my party’s Women’s Officer.

Item descripI had to complete an application form, and then had an interview with a panel from my party. After that I had to give a short speech and answer questions to be selected by party members from the Divisions where I was interested in standing. I was not selected in the first Division I tried for but was selected at the second attempt. I felt I did learn a lot from this process and definitely felt my speech and presentation was much better second time around.tion

I think the most difficult part of the process was putting my name forward in the first place. I did not feel I was a well-known member of my local party and I had no previous experience of elected office. I felt quite nervous at this stage and unsure of the reaction I would receive. It was not until I was selected to stand that my confidence in my own abilities and suitability for the role grew.

The opportunity to talk informally with another woman who had been through the process recently would have helped me to have more confidence that I was a good candidate at an earlier stage in the process.

My party has a Women’s Officer, and she was a great support once my name was in the list of possible candidates. She and a couple of other women in the party encouraged me to believe in myself when my confidence wobbled going through the application process. 10. Prior to selection my support came mainly from other women within my party. Once I was selected, I had strong support from my fellow canvassers and local party members within my Division.

I had hardly done any canvassing when I started my campaign and the thought of knocking on doors was daunting. As soon as I started doing it, however, I found that I loved speaking to people and being part of a team of like-minded local party members speaking to residents in our neighbourhood has been a joy.

Very occasionally I have encountered rudeness or an extremely challenging conversation on the doorstep. These occasions are very rare, however, and do not detract from the overall positive experience of canvassing.
What would you do differently?
I am not sure I would do anything differently. I have gained enormously in self-belief and confidence from the process and feel I can now take that forward into any future opportunities that arise. I know I can now start any future campaign from a very different place to where I was when I started this process as a first-time candidate.

First and foremost, I want to be a good local councillor who listens and responds to concerns from my residents, and who stands up for their interests. My party is in the minority on my council, and I therefore also want to do what I can to ensure my party’s priorities are put forward as this is the mandate on which I was elected.

Networking, woman to woman mentoring, training and mutual encouragement are all vital in encouraging women to believe in themselves and to come forward for elected office.