Our Story

EPEV was established in 2021, following on from public life mentoring programmes developed by Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales and Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support Team (EYST) Wales. Those programmes saw mentees progress into roles as councillors and MPs, be appointed to public boards, and become school governors and charity trustees.   

Equal Power Equal Voice grew from those successes into a collaborative partnership with a shared mission: to increase representation across all areas of public and political life, ensuring that the voices shaping Wales truly reflect its diverse communities. 

Our Purpose 

Across Wales there exists inequality and lack of diversity in our public and political systems. Black, Asian or ethnic minority people, people from the LGBTQ+ community, disabled people, women, and people who are any combination of these identities are often excluded or overlooked.   

For people from these communities, the journey into public and political life is often far more difficult than it should be, marked by systemic barriers, exclusion, and a constant need to prove their worth in spaces that weren’t built with them in mind. 

We believe that public and political life in Wales should reflect the full diversity of its people. That means creating real opportunities for those who have long been excluded to take up roles in decision making spaces. 

EPEV aims to address these issues by encouraging and supporting individuals from underrepresented communities to take their place in shaping a more diverse and inclusive Wales. This is achieved by strengthening the knowledge, skills, and confidence of those who aspire to be part of public and political life. 

We learn from and are supported by those who have already navigated these challenges and successfully achieved positions of power, influence and authority.  We aim to support the next wave of leaders to step forward with confidence, knowledge, and purpose.