Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:44 pm on 10 January 2023.
Thirty-six per cent of the councillors elected in the elections in 2022 were women—an increase of 8 per cent since 2017, but far from being where we should be in terms of equality, of course. Although two councils are equal in terms of gender balance, the picture in other areas is unacceptable, where the representation of women is as low as 18 per cent. So, what specific steps is the Government taking to improve representation of women in local government? You mentioned in the introduction to your statement that the issues under consideration are relevant to all parts of our democracy, not just local government, so can I ask for an update on the work that is being done by the Government to investigate the feasibility of options for job sharing in the Senedd as part of the work for the Senedd reform Bill? Thank you.