Female School Pupils’ Welfare

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 17 October 2018.

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Photo of Leanne Wood Leanne Wood Plaid Cymru 1:38, 17 October 2018

A report by children's charity Plan International UK shows that a third of girls have been sexually harassed in public when wearing school uniform, and the opinion poll, which canvassed 1,000 teenagers and young women aged 14 to 21 across the UK found that two thirds of girls had experienced unwanted sexual attention or sexual physical contact in public. Chwarae Teg has found that sexual harassment can put girls off their chosen career path. Now, I'm concerned about all these findings, if not hugely surprised given the climate that we find ourselves in. But what I want to know from you is what support is in place to provide support for girls who have experienced sexual harassment and assault. This might be a good opportunity for you to look at the provision of school counselling services, which the Children's Society have found to be patchy. And can you also tell me what work schools are doing to educate young people that sexual harassment is not acceptable?