Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.

The Welsh Government’s Gender Equality Review: Reinventing the wheel or an opportunity to improve outcomes?

This week’s seminar will be presented by Dr Alison Parken, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Cardiff Business School

In 2018, the then First Minister commissioned a Gender Equality Review (GER) to explore how the Welsh Government could ensure that ambitions for gender equality are put at the heart of decision and policy-making, make Wales the safest place for women in Europe, and draw from the principles of feminist government that underpin open government in Canada and Sweden. The initial review evidenced the need for a coherent vision for gender equality in Wales, to move from equality of opportunity to equality of outcome and to reinstate the principles and practices of mainstreaming equality, on an intersectional basis. Phase 2 of the GER, set out recommendations for the vision, principles for feminist government and the commitment to equality of outcome, which were accepted by the WG.

However, I was experiencing a feeling of deja vu. Didn’t we do this in 2006 with the Mainstreaming Task and Finish Group. And why, when Wales is often admired for ‘world-leading’ legislation (Duty to mainstream equality for all within Government of Wales Acts 1998 and 2006, and the Well-being Future Generations Act 2015), does an implementation gap mean that such ambitions fall short? How might we move from process to action-orientated equality and well-being duties?  In this short discussion, I’ll outline the findings/conundrums of the GER and then, I’d like to discuss how we ‘bring these duties to life’ or whether, if we think the Public Sector Equality and Well-Being Duties are not succeeding, they are the right mechanism.

To join the seminar, email wiserd.events@cardiff.ac.uk for the Zoom information