International Women’s Day

I’m incredibly proud and humbled to have been elected by our communities as the first female Police and Crime Commissioner in Wales.

I believe strongly in equality and in supporting people to fulfil their potential, and I think it’s vital that young girls in our communities see women succeeding in public life.

It is important to me that my granddaughters grow up in a society where everyone is treated equitably and where gender is not a barrier to their education, career, or family life.

A huge amount of progress has been made, but as we mark International Women’s Day this weekend, we must remember that bias, stereotypes, and discrimination towards women and girls sadly still exist in our society.

Shockingly, approximately 25,000 women and girls in Gwent communities will be subjected to violent and abusive behaviour every year.

Not only this, but we are seeing a worrying normalisation of misogyny among boys and young men, both in the classroom and online. It reminds us that while some battles have been won, we still have a long way to go before achieving a truly equitable society.

Sexist and misogynistic attitudes and behaviours have been a high‑profile problem for policing in the UK, the full extent of which has become even more apparent in recent years. There have been several cases involving Gwent Police reported recently in the media, and we mustn’t shy away from addressing them.

I want to reassure you that the very fact you are seeing these stories is because of the proactive steps now being taken to tackle these behaviours. They have no place in policing and do not represent the majority of hardworking, dedicated police officers who put their own safety at risk every day to keep our communities safe.

The Chief Constable has been very clear in his commitment to driving cultural change within the workforce. He has sent a strong message that misogynistic attitudes and behaviours are not welcome within Gwent Police.

I fully support him in this, and we share a firm commitment to building trust and confidence between our communities and their police force.

As Commissioner, I am proud to be increasing investment in projects that support women and girls. Doing what I can to improve the lives of women and girls in our communities was a key manifesto commitment for me, and it is something I will continue to prioritise throughout my time in office.

These attitudes and behaviours still fester in our society, and we all have a duty to call them out when we see them, to be allies to the women and girls in our communities.

Only by working together can we create a gender equal world and, when we do, we will all benefit from a safer, fairer society.