4. 90-second Statements

– in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 24 October 2018.

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Photo of Ann Jones Ann Jones Labour 2:55, 24 October 2018

Item 4 is the 90-second statements, and the first this afternoon is from Leanne Wood.

Photo of Leanne Wood Leanne Wood Plaid Cymru

One year on from the #MeToo movement, and the sea change that many of us hoped it would spark has not happened. Encouraging people to report is important, but all too often, when they do, nothing happens. Police and victim support services are underfunded, waiting lists for counselling and other support are unacceptably long. Organisations' procedures are inadequate and unable to deal with the particular characteristics of sexual harassment and assault. There is often no scope to consider historic complaints or patterns of behaviour. Victims are discouraged from sharing information, and anonymity or freedom from victimisation are not guaranteed. People don't have confidence in our systems and the majority of incidents therefore go unreported.

So, I'm putting out a call today for anyone interested in changing how we tackle sexual harassment and assault to get in touch with me to be part of a new network. E-mail me so that we can create a network to provide emotional, practical and legal support, share information and campaign for political change.

For many women, the #MeToo movement was the first time they felt able to openly talk about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault, and I fear that, as political leaders and as a society, we are letting them down. We cannot allow their voices to go unheard, and we cannot let the demand for justice to go unanswered.

Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Independent 2:56, 24 October 2018

For well over a century, people from the Yemen have been coming to our country to make Wales their home. It's a little-known fact that the first mosque in Britain was built on Glynrhondda Street in Cardiff. The Yemenis came as sailors to work on coal boats that stopped at the port of Aden before returning to Cardiff and Newport. My grandfather was one of those Yemeni seamen who settled in Wales. The country that they left behind is now in turmoil. Since 2015, it's been under attack by a vicious military campaign led by Saudi Arabia. Thousands of civilians have been killed, and those whose not fallen to bombs and bullets are now facing widespread disease and famine. The British Government has done little other than sell even more weapons to the Saudis, but as the Welsh Parliament we need to stand up for communities living in Wales, including the long-standing Yemeni community. I've introduced a statement of opinion calling for mental health and aid support from the Welsh Government to the Welsh Yemeni community. That's to help with the real struggle, knowing what family members in Yemen are going through. I hope you can all sign it and that we can take some positive action to solve this man-made disaster.