Merched Plaid Newsletter - English

8 MARCH 2020
INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN'S DAY
A N E W S L E T T E R P R O D U C E D B Y M E R C H E D P L A I D ,
P L A I D C Y M R U ' S W O M E N ' S S E C T I O N
Welcome to Merched Plaid's newsletter. Today is International
Women's Day – a chance to celebrate every woman, family and
supporter working towards achieving a world where everyone is
free to be the best version of themselves.
The Feminst Scorecard in Wales shows improvements with
regards to some indicators, but as women, we know from
experience that being a woman comes at an additional cost.
We are more likely to earn less for similar work, more likely to
suffer from domestic abuse, and in health there is insufficient
research into female conditions – we are expected to suffer
pain in silence! Women's groups are needed more than ever to
support one another, and to dare to dream of a better Wales.
in this newsletter:
T H E J U S T I C E S Y S T E M
F A I R T R A D E
P O L I C I E S , P R O P O S A L S . . . A N D
T H E W O M E N O F P L A I D I F A N C
2
4
6
It is easy to despair at the world in its current state, but we know that if we succeed, the world will be a better place
for all. We want to hear from you, the women of Plaid Cymru, about the ways in which you are influencing the world
around you. We have ambitions, institutionally and personally - seeing more women in the Senedd, decent and
local work opportunities, sufficient time for creativity and a low-carbon lifestyle. Plaid's women are working hard to
achieve these goals - in public or without recognition. Over the next few months, we will aim to develop training
and networking opportunities so we can get to know each other and to achieve our goals together.
Lastly, we would like to thank Plaid Pride and Plaid Ifanc for their inclusive and inspirational work in supporting
transgender rights. See you at spring conference!
Llio Elgar, Co-chair of Merched Plaid
@MerchedPlaid
merchedplaid
Merched Plaid
merchedplaidcymru@gmail.com

The justice system in
Wales – does it work
for women?
Plaid Cymru has consistently called for devolution
of the justice system for years, and continues to
do so. What are the main reasons for this? Our
Treasurer, Sioned James, has trained as a
barrister, and outlines the main arguments here.
The subject of justice doesn’t seem to enter the general public psyche in the same way
as matters such as the education system or the health system, despite its deep flaws.
Calls to have decisions on justice to be made in Wales are becoming louder.
Justice in Wales is particularly rough to BAME people, disabled people and LGBT people,
and space should be made to unravel the state of the current system, fraught with
inequality. Here are 3 ways in which the justice system is letting women down and what
Plaid Cymru can do to address them.
1.
Justice for survivors
In the year ending March 2019, there were 58,657 allegations of rape, yet there were only
1,925 rape convictions. Since 2016, the number of cases prosecuted by the CPS has fallen
by 52 per cent. This is despite a 43 per cent increase in the number of rape allegations
made to the police.
More than a quarter of women in Wales have suffered domestic abuse on more than
one occasion, including physical, sexual and psychological violence. From the Crown
Prosecution Service and the way that they take on cases, to the function of the courts
which causes delays and for litigants to have to represent themselves, to the support
and services available to victims and survivors. The status quo is not fit for purpose.
There are things that Plaid Cymru can do at Westminster. We can call for a Domestic
Abusers Register. We can ensure that recent legislation and guidance on stalking is
implemented properly across Wales so that those who suffer from stalking can feel
comfortable in reporting their concerns, that these will be recorded, and action taken.
By commissioning victim support services, emotional and practical help can be offered
to victims of domestic abuse to help them recover from their experience, and to support
them to achieve the best possible outcome through the criminal justice system.
Finally, under the current powers model, Plaid Cymru in the Senedd push for counselling
services to be available and well-funded as victims of rape can suffer from cooccurring
issues relating to mental health and drug and alcohol abuse, especially due to
self-medication.
2

2.
Cycles of abuse and trauma
There is significant evidence about the prevalence of a wide range of mental health
problems afflicting many vulnerable women caught up in the criminal justice system.
Those that have suffered from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as trauma
and abusive relationships are more likely to be imprisoned at some point in their life.
Over half the women in prison have suffered domestic violence with 53% reporting
having experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse as a child.
Devolving justice to Wales could help us break the cycle by uniting our health and social
services with our justice policy. What Plaid Cymru can do is to use a preventative
approach drawn from across health, criminal justice, education and other settings to
tackle ACEs as they occur and possible criminal behaviour that leads from this. Early
intervention is key.
Through the work of our Police and Crime Commissioners, Plaid Cymru have already
made strides in this area by launching a 3-year Early Intervention Fund, This supports
North Wales Police’s preventative agenda of addressing adverse childhood experiences
as an underlying cause of crime.
3.
The prison system
Women in prison system are more likely than men to serve shorter sentences. In 2016,
74% of all women convicted were sentenced for less than 6 months. Nevertheless, shortterm
sentences often bring considerable chaos and disruption to the lives of women
and their families. One consequence is that women who complete short-term sentences
are more likely to re-offend than those sentenced to a court order. Women are also
overwhelmingly sent to prison for theft rather than violent offences. Often, they steal to
feed their children or to support a partner’s drug habit.
Prison should be the last option for non-violent crimes, rather than the default option.
With a devolved justice system Plaid Cymru can use suspended sentences, through
schemes such as Checkpoint Cymru, for those women who are charged with nonviolent
crimes, reducing the disruption caused to them and their family. A policy based
on prevention, early intervention and is multidisciplinary can be more effective than
relying on short custodial sentences that offer limited opportunities for rehabilitation.
All Welsh female prisoners are held in one of the twelve women’s prisons in England. This
often results in the separation of young children from their mothers, making family visits
difficult. Where a prison sentence is appropriate for a woman, we should support a
dedicated, small prison or secure centres for female prisoners in Wales, to ensure
access to family support networks.
You don’t need to look very far for clues as to why our justice system isn’t working. Between
2010 and 2016 the Ministry of Justice was required to implement budget cuts of over one third.
Court budgets were slashed and the number of Magistrates’ courts reduced from 330 to 150.
We’re stuck in a UK formula which holds no regard for the role that justice, and access to
justice has on our society. Exceptionally, good practice can be pointed to on the ground thanks
to Plaid Cymru’s Police and Crime Commissioners. Wales has the ability, the skill and the ideas.
We must now push for the powers.
3

Equipped for
equality
Today (8 March) is the last day of
Fairtrade Fortnight. Over the past few
weeks, the foundation, which promotes fair
working conditions and pay for producers
worldwide, has been promoting women's
rights in particular. As last year, 'She
deserves a living income' was the name of
this year's campaign. Our Communications
Officer, Sioned Treharne, gives us a brief
overview of a session held by Fair Trade
Wales in Cardiff last week.
The main hall of Portland House, Cardiff Bay, was almost full by the time the talk started. In
practical terms, the hall was big enough to allow a decent-sized audience. However, I
couldn't help but feel a sense of irony that tales of such desperate poverty would be
recalled in such a grandiose setting.
Jenipher, a coffee farmer from Uganda, was the first to talk. She explained how difficult it is
for coffee farmers to earn a living wage in Uganda, and revealed that the only way they
are able to earn enough money to live is by joining a local co-operative. The market price
for coffee beans can vary wildly, and can often fall below the price of production. However,
Jenipher and the rest of the members of her co-operative will always earn a fair wage
because of their association with Fairtrade. The co-operative also receives an additional
sum (the fairtrade premium) to be re-invested within the community, under the
instruction of the local people. Jenipher also praised Fairtrade for the work they have done
on improving the situation for women. Before now, women only tended to follow one path
in life – get married, raise a family
and look after the home. Today,
women like Jenipher are able to own
their own land and farms, earn their
own wage, and be independent. She
also mentioned that climate change
is affecting poor communities in
Africa already, and that her region,
Mt Elgon, is suffering from regular
landslides following heavy rain, killing
residents and destroying crops.
Photo: Fair Trade Wales Twitter
4

Photo: Fair Trade Wales Twitter
The panellists (left to right):
Hannah Pudner (United Purpose),
Julia Nicoara (Fairtrade), Chisomo Phiri
(former Women's Officer of NUS Wales),
Jenipher Wettaka Sambazi, Rosine Bekoin,
Katie Colvin (CRU Kafe)
Next up was Rosine, a cocoa farmer from Côte d'Ivoire. In the same way as coffee beans,
the cocoa market can also fluctuate, and farmers often struggle to earn enough to cover
the costs of production. Rosine would have been a housewife for the rest of her life if it
weren't for her grandmother, who fought for her right to inherit the land she was owed.
Rosine certainly didn't receive any financial support from her husband. Having inherited a
few acres of land from her grandmother, Rosine started to sell cocoa locally, but that
money would soon disappear to cover basic living costs. Fortunately, she stumbled upon
Fairtrade, and as a result, she started to receive a fair income for her produce. She could
then spend the additional money on improving her land and yield. When asked to
participate in a leadership workshop for female farmers in the region, Rosine's response
was incredibly revealing. Her first question was, 'Why me? I don't have enough experience
to do this.' (Sound familiar to anyone?!) However, when she attended her first session
(without telling her husband!), she realised that she was exactly the right person to be
participating in the scheme. Her appeal, at the end of her contribution, was for us to buy
Fairtrade chocolate – buy, buy, buy! Through Fairtrade, cocoa producers, and women in
particular, are able to take control of their own lives. Rosine could attest to that.
One thing struck me during the session – how often these extraordinary women
mentioned the word 'community'. I got the impression that a sense of unity and
cooperation was an inescapable part of their experiences with the Fairtrade foundation.
I'm afraid that the same cooperative spirit may have disappeared from our community
here in Wales, and that we live our lives in increasingly isolated and individualistic spaces.
Over the next few years, Brexit will place unprecedented pressure on Welsh local
businesses. It is incumbent on those who have the means to resist convenience and the
temptation of a lower price, and to invest in local services in order to revive the high street
in our cities, towns and villages. We should also, as far as possible, make a conscious
effort to buy fairtrade goods, in order to support Jenipher, Rosine and thousands of other
women who are overcoming all kinds of barriers, every day, to earn a fair wage.
5

Policies, proposals...
and the women of
Plaid Ifanc
On a sunny Saturday in February, before
the torrent of floods came crashing
through the valleys, the members of
Plaid Ifanc, Plaid Cymru's youth wing,
came together in Pontypridd to discuss
policy, political theory and vision. One of
the events held was a policy workshop,
exclusively for the young women in
attendance. Sioned James, Co-chair of
Plaid Ifanc, explains why she thought this
session was necessary.
I had a feeling that not enough policy motions by women were being
presented to the Plaid Ifanc conference, but I had no idea of the level of
the imbalance until I looked at the data: in the last four years 41 motions
have come before the Plaid Ifanc conference, and of those, only 5 women
have ever proposed one. To put it another way, of all the motions
presented in the last four years, 22% were by women. Women, therefore,
have very little say in the type of policies we discuss. Like any other
equalities matter, a lack of voices leads to lack of progress and a lack of
ideas. I know that lack of confidence, lack of knowledge about processes,
and lack of encouragement leads to these low numbers. Every woman
has a glowing idea hiding somewhere which requires a little mentoring to
lead to a motion on paper. I created a session for women only at the Plaid
Ifanc Winter School in order to evidence the gaps in our influence, the farreaching
effects of good policy, and practical advice on how exactly to
form policy. I hope that the Plaid Ifanc conference this year will see an
unprecedented number of motions by women. Better still would be seeing
self-confidence bloom within Plaid Ifanc’s youngest women which will
certainly create waves within the whole party.
6

What about the young women who
attended the session? Who are they,
and what did they think of the
workshop? We spoke to Gwenno and
Maiwenn, who attended the session.
Where are you from?
Gwenno: I come from a small farm in Cwm
Prysor near Trawsfynydd, and I'm in my third
year at Aberystwyth University.
Maiwenn: I'm from Denbigh in North East
Wales.
Why attend Plaid Ifanc's Winter School?
Gwenno: Because it's an opportunity to learn
more about Plaid Ifanc's values and provides
training on how to campaign. Plaid Ifanc
events are always a chance to catch up with
old friends and to make new ones!
Maiwenn: I have been a member of Plaid Ifanc
for 5 years, and I've had incredible experiences
when attending their events. The Winter School
was yet another opportunity to see old friends
and new members, and of course to learn, to
discuss, and to act.
16-year-olds will be allowed to vote in the
Senedd election next year. Which issues
are likely to resonate with young people
in this election?
Gwenno: Issues and policies relating to mental
health and climate change, I think.
Maiwenn: I agree! Fighting for the environment
and the importance of acting on climate
change has inspired young people recently,
and it will certainly still be a big issue going
into the next election. I also hope, though, that
health, social care, equal rights, affordable
housing and Welsh independence will be of
interest to young people and will galvanize
them to become politically active.
Which woman do you admire most at the
moment?
Gwenno: Greta Thunberg. As a young woman,
she has created a movement which has
brought millions of young people onto the
streets worldwide, prompting governments
to change their attitudes towards climate
change. Her speeches in front of institutions,
governments and crows are truly inspiring.
Maiwenn: A good question! The list changes
all the time, or perhaps just keeps on growing,
but I've realised that I'm particularly influenced
by words, be they spoken or written. Recently,
I have been particularly touched by speeches
given by Delyth Jewell AM, especially the one
she gave at Plaid's annual conference last
year and also her speech at the
independence rally in Merthyr. No other
speech has ever moved me to tears before.
Do you feel confident enough to share
your ideas having taken part in the
policy workshop?
Gwenno: Yes, definitely!
Maiwenn: The workshop was excellent, and an
eye-opening experience. Unfortunately, only a
small number of Plaid Ifanc members have
ever presented a policy motion at our
conferences over the years. However, the
workshop encouraged the young women
present to discuss, to reason and to share
their feelings about why they didn't feel
confident enough to propose a policy, and we
discussed how we could address this. I think
the workshop gave us all a much-needed
confidence boost, and spurred us on to
improve matters.
7
Plaid Ifanc's annual conference will be held in Conwy on 4 April.
For more information, email info@plaidifanc.org.