Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:40 pm on 25 January 2023.
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Minister, on Monday, allegations about rampant sexism and misogyny at the WRU resurfaced. We watched as harrowing tales unfolded of women who had contemplated suicide as a result of sexist bullying. All the while, senior management failed to take any action at all. In the programme, Charlotte Wathan, who was hired by the WRU to help transform women’s rugby, described hearing a man she worked with say he wanted to rape her in his hotel room in front of other members of staff in the office, including a senior manager. The WRU did eventually investigate but failed to speak to key witnesses, including the alleged perpetrator. Minister, while I accept that dealing with the issues raised in the BBC programme is a matter for the WRU, we have to make it clear that such behaviour has no place in today’s Wales. Will you, as the Minister for equality, be meeting with the WRU to underline the fact that sexism and misogyny are not to be tolerated in any workplace, especially in such a high-profile one like the WRU?