English: It's a pleasure to rise today to speak in support of the motion. This is really important, touching on how we ensure the dignity of girls and young women in Welsh schools. Plan International UK's data shows how far too many young women struggle to meet the cost of sanitary wear. The charity has also shown the terrible impact of this too. Nearly half of girls surveyed missed an entire day of school because of their period. Sixty-four per cent miss physical education lessons, and girls and young women are having to lie because of embarrassment. This is an issue I encountered first hand, holding a pastoral role in a secondary school. It's just not right that girls and young women are being put in this position. Moreover, many of those affected lack access to proper information about what is going on to their bodies. One in seven admitted they did not know what was happening when they started their period, and more than a quarter reported they didn't know what to do when they started their period. This is shocking, and I'm glad that the motion also addresses this issue of education. I want to focus on what is going on in my own local authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf. As Members will know, RCT will be the first local authority in Wales to take action to tackle period poverty. As councillor Joy Rosser, cabinet member for education said, this is a groundbreaking move. I'm glad that this is also recognised in the motion. I would like to pay tribute to the cross-party spirit in which this important policy has been developed in RCT. It is good to have seen all parties working together to improve conditions for girls and young women. But what does RCT's work involve? Firstly, I'm glad that the working party who considered the council's response took, as their starting point, the thoughts and experiences of female learners from across the county. As the working party noted, participation of the pupils throughout the review is paramount in raising the profile of the provision of sanitary provision within the schools. It's also about raising awareness, of demystifying and, hopefully, removing the sense of embarrassment. So, I just want to pick out a few important points from their research. Fifty-two per cent of female secondary school pupils said they were aware that free sanitary products were available to them from their school. A majority said that they knew how to access these, and were happy with what was available. But, when asked if their periods had had an impact on their attendance, 46 per cent said that this had caused them to miss school. Although in line with Plan's data, this could actually be the tip of the iceberg, as not all of the respondents had actually started their periods. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said that having a period impacted on their performance in secondary school. And, finally, whilst over half of pupils received information on periods during primary schooling, six out of 10 said that their secondary school didn't provide follow-up education around this. In contrast, though, 100 per cent of secondary schools who responded said that they felt that they offered appropriate classes to their pupils. I don't think this is a case of one group being right and the other being wrong. I think it highlights a difference of perception and shows that schools perhaps need to look to adopt alternative methods to make sure that girls and young women know what support is out there. I also want to pick out two further points from the research. A small number of secondary schools said that they already allocated a limited budget for purchasing sanitary products, but the vast majority did not. Typically, instead, they relied on staff purchasing the items, the use of petty cash, or also freebies that were left after the school nurse had visited to discuss puberty. Schools do inform pupils about the availability of these products in a variety of ways, ranging from discreet conversations to class discussions at transition and in year 7 personal and social education lessons. However, it is clear that there is not currently a consistent approach across the local authority, and I'm sure that that is echoed across Wales too. For the reminder of my time, I just want to look at what RCT is actually proposing as a solution. It will now be mandatory within my local authority for all schools with girls aged nine and above to provide a range of free sanitary products, which can be accessed - and I think this is crucial - independently at the toilet blocks. Resources and signage will be developed to raise awareness among learners, staff, parents and carers. Action will also be taken to improve the quality of PSE provision and there will be work with teachers to eliminate embarrassment or stigma. I know the Welsh Government has also taken decisive action, as other Members have already said, to support councils to ensure that projects like this are funded. So, I am very happy to support this motion today.
Welsh: Mae'n bleser codi i siarad o blaid y cynnig heddiw. Mae hyn yn wirioneddol bwysig, yn cyffwrdd ar sut y gallwn sicrhau urddas merched a menywod ifanc yn ysgolion Cymru. Mae data Plan International UK yn dangos sut y mae llawer gormod o fenywod ifanc yn cael trafferth i dalu'r gost am gynhyrchion misglwyf. Mae'r elusen wedi dangos effaith ofnadwy hyn hefyd. Roedd bron i hanner y merched a holwyd wedi colli diwrnod cyfan o ysgol oherwydd eu misglwyf. Mae 64 y cant yn colli gwersi addysg gorfforol, ac mae merched a menywod ifanc yn gorfod dweud celwydd oherwydd embaras. Mae hwn yn fater y deuthum ar ei draws yn uniongyrchol, mewn rôl fugeiliol mewn ysgol uwchradd. Nid yw'n iawn fod merched a menywod ifanc yn cael eu rhoi yn y sefyllfa hon. Ar ben hynny, nid yw llawer o'r rhai yr effeithir arnynt yn cael gwybodaeth briodol am yr hyn sy'n digwydd i'w cyrff. Cyfaddefodd un o bob saith nad oeddent yn gwybod beth oedd yn digwydd pan ddechreuodd eu mislif, a dywedodd mwy na chwarter nad oeddent yn gwybod beth i'w wneud pan ddechreuodd eu misglwyf. Mae hyn yn frawychus, ac rwy'n falch fod y cynnig hefyd yn trafod addysg. Rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar beth sy'n digwydd yn fy awdurdod lleol fy hun yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, Rhondda Cynon Taf fydd yr awdurdod lleol cyntaf yng Nghymru i roi camau ar waith i drechu tlodi misglwyf. Fel y dywedodd y Cynghorydd Joy Rosser, aelod cabinet dros addysg, mae hwn yn gam arloesol. Rwy'n falch fod hyn hefyd wedi'i gydnabod yn y cynnig. Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'r ysbryd trawsbleidiol y datblygwyd y polisi pwysig hwn ynddo yn RhCT. Mae'n dda gweld pob plaid yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i wella amgylchiadau merched a menywod ifanc. Ond beth y mae gwaith Rhondda Cynon Taf yn ei olygu? Yn gyntaf, rwy'n falch fod y gweithgor a ystyriodd ymateb y cyngor wedi gwneud meddyliau a phrofiadau dysgwyr benywaidd ym mhob rhan o'r sir yn fan cychwyn. Fel y nododd y gweithgor, mae cyfranogiad disgyblion drwy gydol yr adolygiad yn hollbwysig er mwyn codi proffil y ddarpariaeth fisglwyf mewn ysgolion. Mae hefyd yn ymwneud â chodi ymwybyddiaeth a chael gwared ar y dryswch a'r ymdeimlad o gywilydd, gobeithio. Felly, hoffwn nodi rhai pwyntiau pwysig o'u hymchwil. Dywedodd 52 y cant o ddisgyblion ysgol uwchradd benywaidd eu bod yn ymwybodol fod cynhyrchion misglwyf rhad ac am ddim ar gael iddynt yn eu hysgol. Dywedodd y rhan fwyaf eu bod yn gwybod sut i gael gafael arnynt, ac roeddent yn hapus â'r hyn a oedd ar gael. Ond pan ofynnwyd iddynt os oedd eu misglwyf wedi effeithio ar eu presenoldeb, dywedodd 46 y cant ei fod wedi peri iddynt golli'r ysgol. Er ei fod yn cyd-fynd â data Plan, efallai mai crafu'r wyneb yn unig y mae hyn, gan nad oedd pob un o'r ymatebwyr wedi dechrau eu misglwyf mewn gwirionedd. Dywedodd 62 y cant o'r ymatebwyr fod cael misglwyf yn effeithio ar eu perfformiad yn yr ysgol uwchradd. Ac yn olaf, er bod dros hanner y disgyblion wedi cael gwybodaeth am fisglwyf yn ystod eu haddysg gynradd, dywedodd chwech o bob 10 nad oedd eu hysgol uwchradd yn darparu addysg ddilynol ynglŷn â hyn. Mewn cyferbyniad, fodd bynnag, dywedodd 100 y cant o ysgolion uwchradd a ymatebodd eu bod yn teimlo eu bod yn cynnig dosbarthiadau priodol i'w disgyblion. Nid wyf yn credu bod hwn yn achos o un grŵp yn gywir a'r llall yn anghywir. Rwy'n meddwl ei fod yn tynnu sylw at y gwahaniaeth mewn canfyddiad ac yn dangos efallai fod angen i ysgolion ystyried mabwysiadu dulliau amgen i wneud yn siŵr fod merched a menywod ifanc yn gwybod pa gymorth sydd ar gael. Hefyd, rwyf am nodi dau bwynt pellach o'r ymchwil. Dywedodd nifer fach o ysgolion uwchradd eu bod eisoes yn dyrannu cyllideb gyfyngedig ar gyfer prynu cynhyrchion misglwyf, ond nad oedd y mwyafrif helaeth yn gwneud hynny. Fel arfer, yn lle hynny, roeddent yn dibynnu ar staff i brynu'r eitemau, a defnydd o arian mân, neu eitemau am ddim a adawyd ar ôl wedi i'r nyrs ysgol ymweld i drafod y glasoed. Mae ysgolion yn hysbysu disgyblion fod y cynhyrchion hyn ar gael mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd, yn amrywio o sgyrsiau cynnil i drafodaethau dosbarth yn y cyfnod pontio a gwersi addysg bersonol a chymdeithasol blwyddyn 7. Fodd bynnag, mae'n amlwg nad oes dull cyson ar draws yr awdurdod lleol ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n siŵr fod hynny'n wir ledled Cymru hefyd. Yn yr amser sydd gennyf ar ôl, hoffwn edrych ar beth y mae Rhondda Cynon Taf yn ei gynnig fel ateb mewn gwirionedd. Bydd bellach yn orfodol yn fy awdurdod lleol i bob ysgol gyda merched naw oed a hŷn ddarparu amrywiaeth o gynhyrchion misglwyf rhad ac am ddim y gellir cael gafael ynddynt - ac mae hyn yn hollbwysig - yn annibynnol yn y toiledau. Datblygir adnoddau ac arwyddion i godi ymwybyddiaeth ymysg dysgwyr, staff, rhieni a gofalwyr. Caiff camau eu cymryd hefyd i wella ansawdd y ddarpariaeth addysg bersonol a chymdeithasol a gwaith gydag athrawon i ddileu stigma neu embaras. Gwn hefyd fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cymryd camau pendant, fel y mae'r Aelodau eraill wedi dweud eisoes, i gynorthwyo cynghorau er mwyn sicrhau bod prosiectau o'r fath yn cael eu hariannu. Felly, rwy'n hapus iawn i gefnogi'r cynnig hwn heddiw.