A UNISON rep has thanked her union for support after graduating from the Jo Cox Women in Leadership programme.
British Gas worker Tansaim Hussain-Gul (pictured above left) recently completed the training course which is a personal and political development programme for passionate women created in memory of the MP Jo Cox.
Tansaim was one of 56 women accepted on to the course and said: “I am a long-standing trade union member and representative. I got more involved in the Labour movement through Labour link, through my union.
“I felt that there weren’t enough women like me being represented and our stories were not being heard.
“Being from a Muslim faith and a Black woman, I felt that I needed to pave the way for other women to have their say in politics as a lot of the time, being from an ethnic background, we are told that this country’s politics is not for people like us.
“Therefore, I decided to apply for this amazing programme which is run by the Labour women’s network (LWN) team, called Jo Cox women in leadership.
“There were 56 amazing women who got accepted onto this programme and I was one of those.”
Tansaim is also assistant branch secretary for the UNISON Cymru/Wales and the South Gas branch as well as being co-chair of the Cymru/Wales disabled members committee, national disabled committee co-chair and women’s committee disability officer.
She said: “The Jo Cox Leadership Programme has given me the strength I needed to present myself and my views which align with the Labour party values.
“I am now well equipped to step into public life and the world of politics and all thanks to my union and LWN for strengthening and giving me the knowledge to make a difference to all our members.”