Will the Minister provide an update on action to reduce to the gender pay gap in Wales?
We are committed to promoting fair work across Wales and to addressing the gender pay gap as part of this.
Our social partnership approach provides us with opportunities to work with employers and trade unions to address workplace equality, diversity and inclusion issues, including pay gaps. Where the current devolution settlement limits our ability to legislate in this area, we are using the policy levers and influence we do have to advance fair work and tackle workforce inequality.
We have introduced a new national milestone to eliminate the pay gap for gender, disability and ethnicity by 2050 and work is underway to review the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Policy development in these areas will be strengthened by the recent establishment of the Equality, Race and Disability Evidence Units.
We are promoting real living wage accreditation and adoption and we are working with social partners to improve working conditions in specific sectors, like social care and retail, where a disproportionate number of workers are women on low pay. Delivering our £43 million commitment to introduce the real living wage in social care has already provided a wage uplift to many women workers on low-pay.
More broadly we have established the Gender Equality Forum to oversee implementation of the Advancing Gender Equality in Wales Plan; we are providing funding to Chwarae Teg, who provide expert advice and support to individuals and organisations on gender equality issues; and we continue to deliver employability and skills interventions along with childcare support to support in work progression.