Due to COVID restrictions across NSW, the Local Government Elections have once again been postponed to 4 December 2021.

And what a showdown this election is shaping up to be! Given the stellar efforts of Women for Election Australia and Politics in Colour in inspiring and equipping more women, and particularly more women of colour to run for office, we're expecting to see a surge in gender and cultural equity in Councillors demographics.

In this Candid Conversation, we bring together some of the state's highest achieving women of colour Councillors to share their thoughts on the value that women of colour bring to politics, and the impact this has on minority communities.

Clr Nadia Saleh (City of Canterbury Bankstown) won more votes in the 2017 election than any other Councillor in NSW.
Clr Charishma Kaliyanda (Liverpool City Council) was named one of Australia’s rising political stars by Marie Claire and twice nominated as a candidate for NSW Parliament before she turned 30.
Clr Sera Yilmaz (Fairfield City Council) is a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia and Secretary for the Australian Local Government Women's Association (NSW).

Politics in Colour: Candid Conversations with Women of Colour Councillors

Day/Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2021

Time: 7-8pm AEST

Venue: Online via Zoom (link emailed 1 hour before event)

Cost: Free

Clr Nadia Saleh - City of Canterbury Bankstown

Nadia is currently serving as a local Councillor for the City of Canterbury Bankstown. Nadia was elected as the Deputy Mayor in September 2017-2018 and is an executive member on the Board of Australian Services Union. She received the Local Woman of the Year Award in 2018 for her contributions to the community and continues to dedicate her skills and passion to serve and empower her community.

Nadia is believed to have made history as the first hijab-wearing woman to be elected into local government in Australia. The news made headlines around the world after Mrs Saleh, a Labor candidate, secured a seat on Canterbury-Bankstown Council — the largest council area in NSW.

Clr Charishma Kaliyanda – Liverpool City Council

Charishma Kaliyanda is an elected Councillor for Liverpool City Council and a registered Occupational Therapist. She is currently the Community Engagement Officer for headspace Campbelltown, working to build awareness of and reduce stigma around mental health and well-being so that young people can access the help they need.

Charishma was raised in Liverpool after migrating to the area with her family as a young girl. Charishma is a champion for diversity in sport, as a Multicultural Ambassador for Hockey NSW (and a keen footballer!). She has been a guest speaker and panellist for UN Youth, Y Vote, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the Asian Australian Studies Research Network. Although Charishma is proud to be one of 11 women elected to Council in Liverpool's 144-year history, and one of the youngest, she hopes that many, many more women are elected in the next 144!

Clr Sera Yilmaz – Fairfield City Council

Clr Sera Yilmaz was elected to Fairfield City Council in 2016 and served as the Deputy Mayor in 2018. She completed a Bachelor of Law/ Bachelor of Social Science (Hons), Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. She is the elected Secretary for the Australian Local Government Women's Association (NSW), and works as a Disability Royal Commission Advocate.

Due to her diverse work experiences, her passion involves creating more services, engagement and opportunities for youth in the area, fairness for our elderly, and equity for services regarding individuals of all multicultural and financial walks of life. She also has a passion to uphold, respect and preserve the Indigenous culture in Fairfield City and to assist Indigenous youth to reach their full potential.

Facilitated by Mariam Mourad, President of Bankstown North Branch for NSW Labor & CEO of Bankstown Women’s Health Centre and Fairfield Women’s Health Service and Katja (Kat) Henaway, descendant of the Mer and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait Islands and Founder of Politics in Colour.

For this event, Politics in Colour is proud to partner with Women for Election Australia with the aim of inspiring and equipping more women to consider running for public office, engaging with the political process or helping another woman to run.

For future events including Australia’s diverse candidates and parliamentarians, connect to our Facebook Page @PoliticsColour.

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