YGF exclusive insight with Sheffield’s first Yemeni woman Councillor

Emily Haimeed

Abtisam Mohamed is a newly elected Labour councillor in the Firth Park area of Sheffield. As the first Yemeni woman to hold the position, this is a ground-breaking achievement for her and the Yemeni diaspora. She has worked tirelessly to increase opportunities for the most vulnerable and under-represented communities in Sheffield as an activist and community leader. A solicitor by profession, she has worked extensively on immigration, welfare and housing issues. Having created change through the voluntary sector over the last 12 years as a leading advocate for community regeneration and BME representation, Abtisam decided to run for election in order to further influence local policy. I recently had the opportunity to interview her for Yemen Growth Forum.

With UKIP candidates gaining traction in the area, this was a tough and highly important election for Abtisam, an active campaigner for diversity and inclusion. This increasing challenge arising in Firth Park means it is no longer a Labour safe area, and Abtisam has vowed to be proactive and accountable:

 “In the wider community the biggest issue the campaign has raised is voter apathy, people are not interested in voting, or they are voting UKIP because they feel that Labour has not listened to them in the past. They feel that their voices are not being heard. I will not be complacent in this role, and I will ensure that the needs of the people in Firth Park are met.”

As Chief Executive of Aspiring Communities Together (formerly known as The Yemini Community Association), Abtisam is a key figure in the large Yemeni community in Sheffield. The organisation arose from The Yemeni Workers Union which was established by Yemenis working in the steel industry in 1971 and is one of the earliest BME community organisations in Sheffield. It has been a strong pillar for the Yemeni community and remains as active and significant today as it was when the first Yemeni migrants came to Sheffield.

Abtisam encourages more young Yemenis to engage in politics and hopes that her success will help pave the way in challenging reservations and barriers:

 “I hope that this paves the way for more Yemenis to get involved. I hope that people see that it can be done, and that it is essential to have a voice in the political system here. If I can do it, anybody can!

 There is a long way to go in terms of getting Yemeni people interested in UK politics. I understand that there are issues that affect the people in Yemen and people should still continue to campaign on these issues but it is also important for us to make a difference here and to help shape and form the policies that affect our everyday lives in this country. That can only truly happen by more people getting involved.”

Abtisam’s success immediately went viral among Yemenis and some opportunists were quick to link her to the Southern separatist movement in Yemen. Yet, she was unaware of this and as many of her constituents are Yemenis from northern Yemen, she hopes not to alienate them.

For Yemeni women in the diaspora, occupying public spaces can be particularly challenging when faced with gendered oppression within the community and racial oppression outside of it. As someone who has worked closely to support Yemeni women over the years, Abtisam wholeheartedly understands these challenges:

 “I hope that my election breaks the ceiling for Yemeni women, for whom politics is often not seen as respectable. We have a long way to go in terms of supporting women, and with the experiences that I have had, I can see why some women may choose not to enter politics. On the whole the majority of people have been supportive but sadly there are a few people who have taken issue with my appearance as though this were the most important factor. Sadly if this was a man, nobody would mention their appearance. So I can already see the hurdles that I am going to face as a woman, knowing that all eyes will be on me and that I have that extra burden.”

Abtisam will begin her role as councillor shortly and many are excited for the positive changes that she will bring to Firth Park.

Emily Haimeed is an International Relations undergraduate at the London School of Economics and a YGF ambassador