Perhaps there's one silver lining to the predicament I find myself in: at least the Welsh Liberal Democrats can claim 100 per cent female representation in this particular Assembly term. [Laughter.] Although, I must admit that's not a particular silver lining I would have welcomed.

I have always, throughout my political career, paid tribute to other political parties that, I believe, took very brave steps to ensure good gender representation in this place. I have to admit that it's a battle that I was never able to win when I was leader of my own political party. I'm a firm believer: unless you can see it, you can never hope to become it.

But, from my perspective in education, what's really important to me is that we, via our existing PSE curriculum and our new curriculum, give young women the opportunity to learn about the political process, to understand how that political process works, and to encourage in them a desire to want to contribute to it, as campaigners and activists in their own communities as well as formal politicians who might seek to serve on councils, in Assemblies or in Parliaments.