International Women's Day - Elected Members

Across International Women’s Day today (March 8) we’ve been celebrating some amazing women who are involved with the work of Orkney Islands Council.

Orkney Islands Council currently has four female Elected Members - Barbara Foulkes, Gwenda Shearer, Heather Woodbridge and Rachal King.  With this Council term due to come to a close shortly, we caught up with Barbara, Heather and Rachael on their experiences of life in the Council chamber.

Barbara Foulkes has one stark piece of advice for anyone thinking of standing for Council – just do it!

“You’ll be part of a great team – elected members and officers. Yes, there will be differences of opinion, that’s democracy.

“It’s important to take others with you and maintain a sense of humour, easily lost when you are passionate about a subject. I have always been a voice for women – it is my part of my DNA. It’s great when one of the male councillors notes the use of the word “he” in a document and challenges this – things may change slowly sometimes -  but they do change.”

Fellow councillor Heather Woodbridge was elected in 2020 – becoming Orkney’s youngest ever councillor to boot – following a varied career in conservation, community engagement, event management, music tutoring and a fair amount of public speaking.

Heather said: “My current role is as an Elected Member representing the North Isles ward. This role means covering eight different community council areas, which can mean a lot of evening community council meetings to attend. In a multi-member ward, this requires team working and working with wider councillor colleagues on issues affecting people in my ward, as well as Orkney more widely.

“Being a woman in local government is much the same as being a man in local government I would say!

“In respect of my role, I feel that gender is irrelevant in a professional sense, however I believe that my lived experience is important to be represented and this positively informs my contribution as an elected member.

“I personally enjoy approaching this role as working as part of a team, with positive collaboration between members and professional challenge. I have always valued the high level of mutual respect we enjoy as councillors in the Chamber and have always felt that my contribution was equally as valuable as one coming from a male colleague.

“I believe that in society women have a different experience to men and this perspective is valuable and should be represented in every level of governance. I think our structures are moving away from historical barriers to women, although we have challenges yet to overcome toward make this an equitable space for women to contribute fully – for example adequate childcare provision, flexible working, adequate leave for both parents, pay equality and so on.

“I would say that the traditional idea of the Council being a ‘boys club’ is disappearing, and certainly has not been my experience as an elected member. When you walk into the Chamber as an elected member (virtually or otherwise), your contribution is equal to those of your colleagues, regardless of age, race or gender.

“As a new elected member you enjoy significant induction to prepare you in your role, and this should be adequate for people coming from any background. I would encourage women (and everyone else!) considering standing as a candidate to consider the kind of work it involves, the commitment required, and to put yourself out there because you will not regret it.”

When asked what it’s like to be a woman in local government, Councillor Rachael King took the same view as Heather - it’s much the same as being a man in local government!
Councillor King said: “The workload is the same, the responsibilities are the same.  The degree to which you involve yourself in the myriad of meetings and seminars to ensure that you are sufficiently informed to make the best decisions is an individual responsibility.

“It would be very easy for me to say that as a parent and a daughter, I work hard to juggle my family responsibilities, needs and wishes alongside those of being an elected member. However, once again, that will be the reality for many of my male colleagues in the chamber.  

“I remain acutely interested as to why we ask this question in isolation.  Why not ask, what is it like to be a young person on council? What is it like to be an older person on council?  What is it like to be on council as someone who was not born here, who does not have 3 generations in the kirkyard?  I would imagine that the answer to any of those questions would be the same as the one that is posed; that we all offer our own life experiences, skills, vulnerabilities, and ambitions.

“Like my male colleagues, we all bring specific skills and face particular challenges and the balance that the public chooses of those skills and challenges is what makes the chamber stronger.

“I do find one of the biggest challenges recently has been the intense focus on women standing for council.  

“My personal belief is that the more we focus on this, the less society as a whole will move away from the historical perception that in some way women are any more or less able to undertake elected roles and it puts back by decades the advancement that women have seen in society.  What we need to be achieving is the point where even asking these questions is seen as questionable and out of step with the world in which we live.  I approach the chamber on that basis and believe that if anyone interacts with me based on being a woman, then that is more of a reflection on their personal progression on this matter than on me.

“I would advise anyone considering standing for council to do so.  The more choice we are able to offer the public, the stronger the chamber will be.  It is the public after all who decide who they wish to represent them, not the council and not the candidates.  We need a chamber that truly reflects our community and each and every one of us has something to contribute.  Those with loud voices, those with quiet voices; those with many years’ experience, those with fresh eyes; those with unique lived experience, those with strengths and those who recognise their weaknesses.  We all have something to offer and every voice has value.

Inspired by their story and keen to find out more about life as a councillor.  We’re holding the last of our online So You Want to Be a Councillor sessions tomorrow night at 7pm – sign up here  - https://www.orkney.gov.uk/News?postid=5166