Nearly 50 women gathered to brainstorm the future of West Oxfordshire at a meeting to discuss how women could have a stronger voice in shaping the future of the district.
Fewer than a third of councillors on West Oxfordshire District Council are women and on Oxfordshire County Council the number is closer to a quarter.
The event at Witney's Corn Exchange on Friday night was spearheaded by Lidia Arciszewska, a recently retired University of Oxford scientist who was elected to West Oxfordshire District Council in May 2022.
It was organised by the Lib Dems but guests came from across the political spectrum.
She said: “We need to talk about the issues we care about. We need to develop our own shared vision of the district, based on women’s perspective and we need to think how we can turn this vision into reality. And, most importantly, we need to encourage many more women to get involved in this conversation,” she said in a brief welcome message.
Speakers at the event included Andrea Clenton, an award-winning architect who is leading the landscape-led approach to the development of Salt Cross village in Eynsham.
In discussions, women pointed out that with so many new houses coming, it’s critical they’re built where and how local communities want them, and not just in a way that maximizes profits for property developers.
Also, given the importance of wild, outdoor spaces, women at the event questioned whether it was appropriate for so many houses to be located in the district.
Another focus of the event was on volunteering, in which women play a disproportionately large role and is absolutely critical to West Oxfordshire’s functioning.
Among the guests was Joy Aitman, the Labour district councillor for Witney East, who is actively involved in many local charities.
Other volunteers in the audience included Maria Frindle, treasurer for the Witney Vikings Football Club, whose work, along with an army of dedicated volunteer coaches, enables hundreds of children to play football twice a week.
Another speaker was Catriona Bass, co-founder of the Thames Valley Wildflower Meadow Restoration Project.
Other guests included Soraya Wooller of WASP, the voluntary organisation that is leading efforts to use data to stop Thames Water illegally dumping sewage in the Windrush and other rivers.
There were also two volunteers from the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and the Windrush Catchment Partnership.
The event also highlighted the role of female entrepreneurs in West Oxfordshire.
The keynote speech was given by Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council.
She originally worked in marketing and advertising, as well as running a business, but entered politics after Britain joined the US in invading Iraq in 2003.
She was subsequently elected to both the District and the County Council and ran to be the MP for Witney in two general elections, as well as the Witney by-election in 2016.
She talked about how by getting involved in politics, women can make a difference. “We can do this!” she said.
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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris
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