Oldham's first Muslim female council leader hopes to inspire women

Ms Shah, who represents the Chadderton South ward, says she is "truly honoured" to take up the post

A councillor, who is the first Muslim woman to take charge of a council in the north of England, hopes her historic election win will inspire a new generation of women into politics.

Labour's Arooj Shah will be ratified as leader of Oldham Council on Wednesday.

During her time as a councillor, she said she had faced opposition from traditionalists within her community as well as misogyny and racism.

Ms Shah said she felt a "huge duty to get it right".

"I want any Asian woman who's looking at me and watched [what] I've gone through to feel like they can do it too," she said.

'Horrible nastiness'

Ms Shah has lived in Glodwick, one of the country's poorest wards, her whole life after her parents moved to the UK from Pakistan to work in the local textile industry in 1968.

After representing her neighbourhood for four years, Ms Shah lost her seat to an independent male candidate in 2016, a result that she believes was a reaction from the male Asian community, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ms Shah said: "When my dad was alive all he viewed was the horrible nastiness that I got from misogynists in my own community, that's what he saw.

"He never saw me be deputy leader and he never saw this and I think he'd be so super proud and he was the greatest feminist I know."

"I'm such a strong feminist and I want Asian women, who watched me...in 2016 when I was ousted by predominantly Asian men, I want them to look at me and think 'we can do this too' and that's the most important thing," she said.

Two years later, Ms Shah was elected as a councillor in the Chadderton South ward.

She added: "This is an historic moment and I do feel proud of it but what I want residents to know is that I am of Pakistani heritage and I am of Muslim faith, but I am an Oldhamer first and foremost."