By Paige Abrey

My name is Paige Abrey and I am the new summer intern at Elect Her!

I am so excited for this experience as I am someone deeply passionate about political equity, diversity and inclusive leadership.

Elect Her as an organisation was a perfect fit as the NGO is committed to helping more women run for political office and lead with confidence. This internship feels like the next step in aligning my values with my actions, and I’m eager to grow through it, both personally and professionally.

I was drawn to Elect Her because its mission answers a problem I’ve seen and felt: leadership spaces, especially in politics, remain largely male-dominated. Growing up and becoming politically aware, I often noticed how leadership didn’t reflect the diversity of the communities it claimed to serve.

Growing up and becoming politically aware, I often noticed how leadership didn’t reflect the diversity of the communities it claimed to serve.

Paige with her then MP, they are standing on the terrace at the Houses of Parliament with the London Eye in the background. — Elect Her’s unapologetic focus on changing that, not just through advocacy, but through practical training and support, resonated with me deeply.
**I knew I wanted to be part of that change.**
Fortunately, I was able to gain funding for a grant from my university, Smith College, that was able to fund this internship - it is part of a package that I was awarded when I won my scholarship with Smith which was supported by the Sutton Trust and Fulbright…

(If you’d like to understand more about their US programmes, I’m happy to chat paige@elect-her.org.uk or visit this link https://www.suttontrust.com/our-programmes/us-programme/)

Past Experiences

My past experiences have prepared me well for this role. I’ve facilitated discussions on collaborative leadership, migration, and gender-based inequality, led student groups, and advocated for more inclusive spaces in education and beyond.

I’ve also researched how identity politics intersects with leadership, asking tough questions about how we assess who is “fit” to lead.

These experiences have taught me to listen with care, communicate clearly, and take purposeful action.

But I’m also here to learn. Through this internship, I hope to deepen my understanding of grassroots campaigning and political organising. I want to learn how to build community power, how to support women stepping into public roles, and how to challenge barriers that keep marginalized voices out of leadership. Whether that’s through learning how to communicate across differences or helping to develop a workshop, I’m ready to engage with purpose and an open-mind.

What excites me most is the chance to work alongside other passionate changemakers — people who aren’t waiting for permission to lead, but are already doing it.

A group photo of the attendees of the event - including women from civil society, government and most importantly young women from the two schools — In my first week I supported our Tools for Change Event!

Being part of a team that supports women to say “yes” to power, even when the world tells them no, feels like both a privilege and a call to action. I’m especially looking forward to connecting theory with practice, bringing my academic and advocacy background into real-world organising.