The TV, radio and online adverts show people in situations challenging our ideas about gender. A man working as a midwife, a woman working as a mechanic, a young man expertly applying make-up and a girl playing with a truck, covered in mud.  

People are being encouraged to engage in the online campaign to talk about their experiences and concepts of stereotypes using #thisisme. 

The THIS IS ME campaign is part of the Welsh Government’s Live Fear Free campaign to tackle violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. It is part of a longer term campaign that will grow to look at other causes and consequences of abuse and violence.

The Welsh Government has been working with survivors of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and subject experts to develop a campaign which deals with the underlying reasons for abuse.

Leader of the House Julie James said:

“The THIS IS ME campaign is part of our on-going commitment to rid Wales of the scourge of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Gender inequality is a cause and consequence of this abuse and violence. 

It uses positive examples to challenge gender stereotypes and show that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and achieve their potential. 

I hope THIS IS ME will create a discussion about gender stereotypes and I want people to engage in the campaign by talking about their own experiences. Everyone in Wales deserves to live fear free of gender stereotypes and abuse.”

The new Welsh Government National Advisers for Violence against Women, Gender-based Violence, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, Yasmin Khan and Nazir Afzal have backed the campaign.

Yasmin Khan said:

“The world can feel different, depending on your gender – gender can affect how safe we feel, where we go, what job we feel able to apply for and other people’s expectations of us. The challenges around gender stereotypes and inequality limit all of us and puts pressure on us to conform to outdated, traditional values which are out of sync with todays Wales.”

Nazir Afzal said:

“This is the first stage in a campaign to raise awareness of the underlying reasons for violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, in order to challenge those ideas and behaviours and help build a society which does not tolerate these abhorrent acts.”

Emma Renold, Professor of Childhood Studies at Cardiff University is a member of the stakeholder group that helped develop the campaign.

Emma Renold said:

“Safely and creatively challenging the impact of gender norms is at the heart of how to address all forms of gender based and sexual violence. This involves working together to make gender equity and equality a reality for all”

The campaign is also supported by You Tube vlogger Reuben de Maid, he said:

“I believe everyone should feel free to be themselves. My mum has always told me, my brothers and my sister that being yourself is the only way to be happy, and surely that’s what we all want for one another – to be happy and fear free. That’s why I’m encouraging everybody to support the #thisisme campaign.”

Welsh Government, the Isle of Anglesey County Council, and Menter Iaith Môn have worked together to produce the Welcome to Wales/ Welcome to Welsh booklet for individuals and families moving to the island from outside Wales. The aim is to ensure that those who are new to Anglesey have an understanding of the Welsh language and the role it plays in the day to day lives of the island’s residents.

As one of the regions of Wales where the language is at its strongest, this is a pilot project – and if successful it will be rolled out to other areas.

On launching the new booklet at Canolfan Iaith Moelfre, Eluned Morgan AM, Minster for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning said:

“It’s a pleasure to come to Anglesey on my first visit to north Wales as Minster for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning to launch this booklet. I’m sure it will help those who move to the area to settle and to understand the area. I hope they will be inspired to learn more about local culture and to learn the language.”

Helen Williams, Chief Officer with Menter Iaith Môn added:

“We’re pleased to welcome the Minister to Anglesey today. This is an important project, and we’re grateful to the Government and the Isle of Anglesey County Council for their support as partners in the development of this new resource.

“We will be working with local schools to ensure we reach the right audiences, and several estate agents on the island have already agreed to distribute the booklet. We hope to extend this to other organisations and businesses across Anglesey. With plans for a number of substantial developments here on the island – it’s important that we not only take steps to protect and promote the language but also to help those who move here for the first time to understand a bit more about our language and culture.”

Ieuan Williams, portfolio holder for the Welsh Language at the Isle of Anglesey County Council said:

“We welcome this booklet, and hope it will raise awareness within a wider audience of the importance of the Welsh language and culture here on Anglesey, a heartland of the language.”

The launch will take place at 09:00 on the 29th of January at Canolfan Iaith, Ysgol Gymuned Moelfre, Anglesey.

The national service for Wales, which will be held on Monday 29 January at City Hall, Cardiff will be hosted by the First Minister and the Leader of Cardiff Council Cllr Huw Thomas and led by the Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk.

The congregation will hear of first hand experiences from Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines MBE, who was one of the children to be saved from the Holocaust on the last Winton train in 1939. They will also hear from Dr Mukesh Kapila CBE, who was part of the first British team to go to Rwanda after the genocide and also worked in Bosnia where he witnessed the aftermath of the genocide in Srebrenica.

Eluned Anderson and Daniel Rees from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr will also talk about their work as Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors which gives pupils from every school and college in Wales the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and speak to a Holocaust Survivor.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said:

“I am proud to stand alongside the rest of the world to honour those who faced the most horrendous atrocities ever known.

“Today is an important opportunity to reflect on the way we live our lives today and challenge hatred and persecution that sadly still exists. It is our duty to keep the memory of those who died alive, and ensure such atrocities are never repeated again.”

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said:

“Cardiff has a proud tradition as a welcoming city, a city open to people of all faiths and races. It’s important we remember those that died at the hands of the Nazis in the Holocaust and of course the other genocides which have happened across the world. Today we have a shared responsibility as human beings to fight these evils and to do what we can to stop them ever happening again.”

Representatives from Organisations including Race Equality First, Interfaith Council of Wales and various members of the Jewish Community will be in attendance at the service

They reflect last year’s Welsh Government consultation on reforming the electoral system in Wales, which received almost 1000 responses.

Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services, Alun Davies, said: 

“Local democracy is all about participation. We want to boost the numbers registered as electors, make it easier for people to cast their votes, and give more people the right to take part.”

Under the proposals to be announced this week, 16 and 17 year olds would be given the right to vote in council elections, along with all foreign nationals legally resident in Wales. Automatic registration would help ensure fewer people were missed from the electoral register.

Alun Davies said he wants councils to pilot innovative new voting methods, which reflect people’s busy lives. These could include remote digital voting, mobile polling stations and voting at places like supermarkets, local libraries, leisure centres and railway stations.

To ensure that people have a clear choice, councils would have to post policy statements from the candidates on line and all those standing would have to declare any party affiliation. Voters will know what candidates stand for and have more reason to vote.

Alun Davies said: 

“I am concerned we are still seeing far too many people, particularly young people, disengaged from the political process.

“There are many reasons for this but we must do more to make the process more attractive, welcoming and transparent. The proposals we’re announcing this week will, we hope, help increase participation and improve the democratic process for everyone in Wales.

“I would like to see authorities in Wales take the lead and pilot a number of innovative voting methods, something put on hold at the UK level since the mid-2000s. I want to see whether, for example electronic voting or counting, voting on more than one day and in places other than traditional polling stations, could boost participation rates and improve the overall experience for Welsh voters.”

Jessica Blair, Director of the Electoral Reform Society Cymru said: 

“We are delighted to see the Welsh Government bringing forward these innovative ideas to modernise our democracy. It is an opportunity for Wales to lead the way in creating a political system that works for everybody and it is particularly pertinent as we recognise the centenary of the first women getting the vote. 

“Last year our Missing Voices project, in which we talked about politics and voting with nearly 1,000 people across Wales, revealed an appetite for doing things differently. We believe these recommendations are the first step in making that happen.”

From 1 April 2018 Stamp Duty Land Tax and Landfill Tax will be replaced by Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax in Wales. 

At a meeting in Cardiff today the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, and Welsh Government Finance Secretary, Professor Mark Drakeford, agreed that, following an assessment of the Joint Exchequer Committee (Officials) on 10 January, the Welsh Government, Welsh Revenue Authority and HMRC are ready for the transition to the new devolved taxes.

Professor Drakeford said:

“The devolution of these taxes represents a significant milestone for Wales, helping us to make Wales a fairer nation and to grow the Welsh economy.

“Today’s meeting was also an opportunity to reflect on the good and constructive relationships which have developed in taking fiscal devolution forward over this period. I look forward to this continuing.”

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, said: 

“We are committed to giving the National Assembly for Wales more responsibility to raise its own funding and that is why further income tax powers will follow next year. This will give the Welsh Government greater powers to shape their economy. 

“The UK government is also committed to delivering for Wales, as demonstrated by the £1.2bn boost to the Welsh Government’s funding at Budget. I look forward to continuing our constructive working partnership.”