Government has failed to incorporate the UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women into Welsh law

Marking International Women’s Day with the theme 'accelerating action', Amnesty International urges the Welsh Government to “make good on it’s commitment to protect women’s rights”.

This year also marks 30 years since the 4th UN Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, which produced a blueprint for the realisation of women’s rights and gender equality: the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by 189 countries.

Progress towards gender equality has been achieved since then but more needs to be done. Recent years have seen a significant backlash against women’s rights, LGBTI rights and the very concept of gender and gender equality – underscoring the need for accelerated action.

In 2022, the Welsh Government pledged to make Wales the safest place to be a woman. The Programme for Government underlines this ambition with a commitment to incorporate the UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) into Welsh law. Campaigners argue that the law would make women’s rights a legal priority for decision-makers and empower rightsholders by enabling them to enforce their rights in Welsh courts.

Despite this commitment, the Welsh Government has failed to bring forward any such legislation, nor does it have plans to do so before the next Senedd election in 2026. The Welsh Government’s progress reports since 2021 make no mention of CEDAW. 

Speaking ahead International Women’s Day, Glenn Page, Amnesty International’s Government and Political Relations Manager in Wales, said:

“With rising threats to women’s rights around the world, the significance of International Women’s Day cannot be overstated. In the face of such threats, we must redouble our efforts. We cannot – and must not – allow any regression in securing gender equality.

“The Welsh Government’s commitment to protecting women’s rights in Welsh law was a significant step forward, but the Government must now make good on this promise.

“Without legal protections, ending discrimination against women will at best be treated as an ambition rather than a fundamental building-block of government in Wales. Now more than ever, the Welsh Government must accelerate action to protect the rights of women and girls.”

Further information[1]

The pay gap between men and women persists, as women are on average paid 14.1% less than men in Wales. However, this gap has narrowed slightly between 2010 and 2019. The gender pay gap varies greatly across regions in Wales.

• Childcare needs and caring responsibilities continue to be a significant barrier to gender equality in employment and education.
• 89.1% of single-parent households in Wales are headed by women. Households most likely to be living in poverty are single parent households (38%).

[1] Full report available here.