It gets a new kind of political at the Senedd as Darren Millar pushes the gender debate, and the First Minister steers clear.
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00:00First Minister, on Saturday we marked International Women's Day, a day to celebrate the achievements,
00:06rights and potential of women and girls here in Wales, across the UK and around the world.
00:11So can you tell us today, First Minister, in order that people across Wales can appreciate
00:16and understand what the Welsh Government was celebrating over the weekend,
00:20what's your definition of a woman?
00:22Really? Is that right? Is that right, Darren?
00:27On the day that we want to celebrate women, you want to start a culture war.
00:32That is not something that I'm engaging with.
00:35Of course it's always political here in the Senedd,
00:38but First Minister's questions went in a different direction than it doesn't often go in.
00:42We see questions about the NHS, schools, the economy,
00:45but one sort of taboo question has been one that's floated around online quite a lot,
00:49but has managed to sidestep much of Welsh political talk.
00:52The question of transgender people in sports.
00:54It's controversial, and the Members in the Senedd certainly know it.
00:57Now let me help you by giving you the definition that I use of a woman.
01:02To me, a woman is an adult human female.
01:06So will you commit today to ensuring that all Welsh sporting bodies,
01:10in receipt of Government funds, should be required to commit to sex-based categories
01:16so that women are not required to compete against biological males and to ensure fair competition?
01:23Honestly, did you not learn anything from why you lost the last general election?
01:29I mean, honestly, what people care about is the economy.
01:35They care about the NHS. They care about housing.
01:38They care about education. They care about connecting communities.
01:41Those are all the things that I am absolutely focused on,
01:44and I am not playing games with your culture war,
01:47because actually the people of Wales are not interested in that.
01:51They are interested in us getting on with the job and delivering for them.
01:56One could argue that Darren Miller definitely knew what he was doing a little bit
01:59and was pressing the gender question a little further than he needed to.
02:02But he says very clearly that women deserve safe spaces,
02:05and that is something that the First Minister certainly agrees with.
02:08The Welsh Government has a duty to ensure that all women in Wales
02:12should have access to safe, single-sex spaces,
02:16including public toilets, leisure centre changing rooms, women's refuges and hospital wards.
02:26Look, I think it is really important that we focus on the things that women really care about, right?
02:33What they care about is feeling safe, is making sure that they have their rights,
02:39that their children are able to flourish.
02:44And that is why this is a Government that for years
02:48has been focused on the things that really matter to women.
02:51The fact that we have given huge increases in childcare, for example,
02:57which you voted against, and you voted against, by the way.