Teacher aims to blaze election trail for Asian women
A TEACHER and equal rights advocate is aiming to achieve an historic breakthrough when she stands for election in May.
Samina Mahmood is contesting the Huncoat ward for Labour in Hyndburn borough council’s local elections.
If the 49-year-old is elected she would become the first Asian woman to win a seat on the local authority.
She said: “Representation is very important in politics and we have to be in the system to make any changes.
“I have received a very positive response from the Pakistani Muslim community.
“Politics is usually male dominated and I would like to break that barrier.”
The full list of candidates for each ward has yet to be determined, however the Conservative group have named Danny Cassidy as their candidate for Huncoat.
Veteran Labour councillor Dave Parkins, first elected to represent Huncoat in 1994, is not standing for re-election at May’s polls.
Mother-of-two Samina has been campaigning with the party for more than seven years and in October Hyndburn Labour selected her to apply for the position.
She is one of six sisters and says they have been very supportive and encouraging her to throw her hat in the ring for the role. When Samina was eight she moved to Burnley Road because her uncle lived in Accrington, but now lives on Queen’s Road West.
She says she also wants to tackle Islamophobia and racism, campaign for equal rights and bring more representation into politics. She founded a group called Empower Women’s Group Accrington for women to come together and tackle mental health issues.
They run charity events for community cohesion and networking for professionals including local businesses and charities.
Samina, whose parents moved from Faisalabad in Pakistan to Huddersfield in the
1960s, has been a supply teacher at Accrington Academy for two years - teaching subjects including English, history and art.
And the former Hollins
High School pupil has identified education, supporting businesses, addressing social isolation and preventing children from being on the streets as key priorities.
She said: “Children need good role models.
“A lot of children I work with come from broken families and backgrounds.
“Some children are malnourished and as a result they have been falling asleep in class.
“They aren’t eating properly and do not have the right bedtime structure.”