7. Plaid Cymru Debate: A four-day working week

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:05 pm on 22 September 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Sioned Williams Sioned Williams Plaid Cymru 5:05, 22 September 2021

Let's be clear, the four-day working week is no silver bullet for all these inequalities. Our understanding of work as a whole needs to change, and this is achievable, I think. Our acceptance of radically new working practices in such a short period of time shows this. Waged work is not the only sphere that needs to be reimagined, but the opportunity offered by a four-day working week to women would be more effective than the myriad of gender equality reviews and policies that are unevenly deployed and unevenly monitored, and as such have had limited success in levelling the playing field for women. How many times have we talked in this place about gender balance in civic and political life? Giving women more time to pursue a life in and beyond work will help to increase female participation and representation in those organisations that most need to understand their experiences. Of course, any and all reforms to the working week must benefit all workers, and tackle socioeconomic inequality in all spheres, as we have heard.