Shadowing scheme is helping to build links between communities

This column appears in the Cardiff Post today.

Last week, as part of a pairing scheme organised by the British Council, I was shadowed by Gifti Abasiya, a member of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives. She is a woman of great principle, at one time having been imprisoned for almost three years for her political beliefs.

Gifti visited me in both Westminster and Cardiff to see what the life of a British MP is like. Since Ethiopia is a fairly new democracy — democratic elections are only 15 years old — she was interested to see how things work here.

In Westminster, Gifti shadowed me to the Parliamentary Labour Party Women's Committee — as chairwoman of the Women's Affairs Committee, she was interested to learn about the community of women MPs in the House of Commons and to see what issues we are addressing. Interestingly, in the Ethiopian parliament, 22% of the MPs are women, 2% more than in our own.

Gifti was also interested to visit both the House of Lords and the House of Commons galleries where, on Wednesday, she got to see Prime Minister's Questions. She said that she was amazed at how much noise everyone made! Fortunately, she also got to visit the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, where the proceedings are decidedly more sedate — it is in committees like this that a lot of the most important work in Parliament is done.

I was delighted that Gifti was also able to come to see my work in the constituency and she spent a very full couple of days in Cardiff. It was a happy coincidence that her visit coincided with St David's Day and she was thrilled to take part in the celebrations at Gabalfa Primary School.

In Cardiff also, Gifti was very interested to visit the National Assembly, particularly because Ethiopia has a similar system of regional assemblies, as well as a centralised government. One of the main differences, however, between our system and Ethiopia's, is that MPs in Ethiopia onlu return to their constituencies for a week or so once or twice a year. Most of an MP's work is done in Addis Ababa. Of course, this is very different from our own system and my own experience as an MP, where my time is almost evenly split between Westminster and Cardiff.

The visit to Cardiff did not just focus on politics, however. I was pleased that Gifti was also able to see some of the cultural wares that Cardiff has to offer — at the Wales Millennium Centre and from Sgript Cymru at Chapter — as well as the good work being done by organisations like the Women's Workshop and the Women's Safety Unit.

A few years ago, I participated in a similar pairing scheme with an Ethiopian woman MP and it was a wonderful experienced. After it, I arranged for both microscopes for health centres, and books for the Ethiopian Parliament to be shipped out there, all of which were generously donated. I also established the Ethiopian Food for Thought fund which, thanks to the generosity of many people, has helped to fund a computer for the Women's Caucus in Ethiopia.

These shadowing schemes are very important in establishing links between different countries. Last week was a great opportunity to show the good work that is done in the Houses of Parliament and to show both Cardiff and Wales at their best.

Comments

[asim malik]

Where can i find out mp'slabour for cardiff heath. I have a problem with the insurance fund.

Asim Malik BSc