Part of Questions to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 18 June 2019.
I thank Suzy Davies for those questions. In fact, I also welcome the fact that Neath Port Talbot council has achieved the Chwarae Teg fair employment award, and, of course, part of that is about tackling the gender pay gap. In terms of the opportunities that we have to focus, particularly I would say this week, on making sure that we have a diversity in our ministerial public appointments, we are producing a diversity strategy, which will consider action on how we can better raise awareness of public appointments and ensure that the process is as inclusive as possible. That has to be through an implementation plan; how we improve, for example, the diversity of assessment panels, support appointees, have shadowing arrangements. I'm mentoring, and I think probably, Suzy, you're mentoring also, candidates from the Women's Equality Network. We certainly know that this is a way forward towards those kinds of ministerial appointments, which I hope will particularly address black, Asian, minority ethnic candidates, but particularly women who, of course, can play such a key role.
Now, in terms of the gender pay gap, it is a gender pay gap where we have to look at the intersectionality issues in relation to the pay gaps. It is, indeed, not just in terms of a gender pay gap; there's also a disability and a race pay gap as well, which we have to address. It is important that we see that this is a crucial part of the rapid review of Welsh Government gender and equality, and I very much welcome the Chwarae Teg 'State of the Nation 2019' report, where we addressed these issues. And we were at Butetown Community Centre to have a panel discussion on these issues, and the focus was on BAME women in Wales because of the research that they're undertaking on BAME women and their experiences in the Welsh labour market. So, all these are key to my agenda in terms of priorities in supporting and extending equality and human rights.