10. 7. Statement: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:01 pm on 22 November 2016.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 6:01, 22 November 2016

Thank you very much, and I thank the Minister for his statement. I think there’s no doubt that progress is being made. A lot of people have mentioned the issue of children being educated at a young age. Would he agree that it’s absolutely essential that this is done as young as possible, in the early stages of primary school, so that they grow up with a knowledge of what healthy relationships should be?

I also want to make a point about the violence and sexism that children can view on the internet, which does affect their attitude to relationships. I particularly wanted to mention the game ‘Grand Theft Auto’, which was banned from some retail chains after a petition launched by three female survivors gained more than 40,000 signatures. But, in fact, I know that some children of primary school age are still being allowed to play this game here in Wales. So, I would like to commend Gabalfa Primary School in my constituency for an initiative that I attended last year to educate parents about computer games that encourage violence against women, particularly ‘Grand Theft Auto’, which they carried out as part of a general internet-awareness day that they put on. I really think that educating parents about the content of such games is as important as educating the children. Would he agree that this is an essential part of this strategy, in order that children do not see these images that will distort their views about what healthy relationships are?