10. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the measures the Welsh Government is taking to tackle harassment against women in Wales? OAQ(5)015(CC)

The Welsh Government is committed to working with all of its partners to tackle harassment against women in Wales. Violence against women is unacceptable in all of its forms. It is right that, on International Women’s Day, we raise awareness of the issues many women are still facing.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that response. Concerns have been raised with me about how cases of harassment are dealt with—with the necessary and appropriate sensitivity and seriousness—by those who work in front-line public services. Cabinet Secretary, are you able to provide reassurance on the work being done to prevent harassment with those in front-line devolved public services? Also, what work is being done with non-devolved public services, such as the police, to ensure that cases of harassment are dealt with correctly?

I thank the Member for her question. I take a zero-tolerance approach on bullying, harassment and abuse. I wouldn’t care if somebody was a friend or a political ally—if they cross the line, there can be no compromise on this: this is wrong. I am confident that we are working across Welsh Government to address the long-term entrenched inequalities. Objective 4 of our strategic equality plan sets out the actions that Welsh Government will take to reduce the instances of all forms of harassment and abuse. We should all take a responsibility in making sure that this happens in our public sector bodies.

Back to the Mothers Affection Matters event earlier on today, Cabinet Secretary, listening to some of the people who gave their stories, they talked about harassment turning into abuse from a very, very early age. I’d like to just reinforce the calls made by Sian Gwenllian, and I think others yesterday, for healthy relationships training and counselling and development in schools. If we can train young children, young girls and boys, young men and women to respect and cherish each other, then we will have gone a long way to stopping harassment and abuse of women and men in their more adult lives.

You don’t need to convince me on this argument. I am working with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to see how this is achievable and we will, hopefully, have something positive to say shortly.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.