English: Thank you very much. The subject is whether allowing Assembly Members to job-share would lead to the creation of a gender-balanced Assembly and one that is more representative of the population as a whole. I'm very pleased to lead this debate this afternoon. Jane Hutt and Julie Morgan are eager to contribute too, and I look forward to hearing their contributions. A few weeks ago, I led a short debate in this Chamber about the need to improve gender equality and representation among minority groups at this Assembly. I do believe that having more women - indeed, an equal number of women - in posts where decisions are made is important as we strive to be a nation of equality, to be the kind of feminist nation that others have talked about that we need to create here in Wales. In the previous debate, I talked about research undertaken that shows that issues that are important in women's daily lives and issues that should be focused on, in terms of creating equality, are far more likely to be raised in discussions led by women. Striving towards equal representation in public life, therefore, helps to improve women's lives in general. And that's not the only element that demands our attention - nowhere near. I'm not trying to say that, and I am fully aware of the wide range of work that needs to be done. That's why I would like to see a national action plan on gender quality. But it is one element, and one that we as elected Members can influence if we wish to do so. In the previous debate, I talked about the work of the expert panel on Assembly electoral reform, and the report 'A Parliament that Works for Wales', which was published in December 2017. I believe that adopting all of the recommendations in that report would help to create a more equal and diverse Assembly, and that efforts should continue to seek consensus around the report's findings. In the previous debate, I drew attention to a recommendation relating to requiring political parties to introduce quotas to have an equal number of candidates. Today, I want to draw attention to another one of the panel's recommendations, which was also part of the work of considering how to improve diversity at the Assembly. According to the report:
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr. Y pwnc ydy a fyddai caniatáu i Aelodau'r Cynulliad rannu swydd yn arwain at greu Cynulliad cydradd o ran rhywedd, ac un mwy cynrychioliadol o'r boblogaeth gyfan. Rwy'n falch o arwain y drafodaeth yma y prynhawn yma. Mae Jane Hutt a Julie Morgan yn awyddus i gyfrannu hefyd, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at glywed eu cyfraniadau nhw. Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, fe wnes i arwain ddadl fer yn y Siambr yma am yr angen i wella cydraddoldeb rhywedd a chynrychiolaeth o grwpiau lleiafrifol yn y Cynulliad yma. Rwy'n grediniol bod cael mwy o ferched - yn wir, nifer cydradd o ferched - mewn swyddi lle mae penderfyniadau yn cael eu gwneud yn bwysig wrth inni ymgyrraedd at genedl o gydraddoldeb, at y math o genedl ffeministaidd mae eraill wedi sôn sydd angen ei chreu yma yng Nghymru. Yn y ddadl ddiwethaf, mi wnes i sôn am ymchwil a wnaed sy'n dangos bod materion sy'n bwysig i fywydau bob dydd merched, a materion y dylid canolbwyntio arnyn nhw o ran creu cydraddoldeb, yn llawer mwy tebygol o gael eu codi mewn trafodaethau gan ferched. Mae anelu at gynrychiolaeth gydradd mewn bywyd cyhoeddus, felly, yn helpu i wella bywydau menywod yn gyffredinol. Nid dyna'r unig elfen sydd angen inni roi sylw iddo fo - a hynny o bell, bell ffordd. Nid ydw i ddim yn trio dweud hynny, ac rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol o'r rhychwant eang o waith sydd angen digwydd. Dyna pam yr hoffwn i weld cynllun gweithredu cenedlaethol ar gydraddoldeb rhywedd. Ond, mae o'n un elfen, ac yn elfen y gallwn ni fel aelodau etholedig ddylanwadu arni hi os ydym yn dymuno gwneud hynny. Yn y ddadl ddiwethaf, mi wnes i sôn am waith panel arbenigol ar ddiwygio etholiadol y Cynulliad, sef 'Senedd sy'n Gweithio i Gymru', a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Rhagfyr 2017. Rwy'n credu y byddai mabwysiadu'r holl argymhellion sydd yn yr adroddiad yn helpu i greu Cynulliad mwy cyfartal ac amrywiol, ac y dylid parhau i geisio consensws o gwmpas yr adroddiad hwnnw. Yn y ddadl ddiwethaf, mi wnes i dynnu sylw at argymhellion yn ymwneud â'i gwneud hi'n ofynnol i bleidiau gwleidyddol gyflwyno cwotâu er mwyn cael nifer cydradd o ymgeiswyr. Heddiw, rwyf i am hoelio sylw ar un arall o argymhellion y panel hwnnw a oedd hefyd yn rhan o'r gwaith o ystyried sut i wella amrywiaeth yn y Cynulliad. Yn ôl yr adroddiad: