Gender equality topic for Urdd Gobaith Cymru annual message

Young people in Wales have said equality for women and girls is "more than a hashtag" in an annual message.

Members of the youth organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru and students at Swansea University chose equality as this year's theme.

The Urdd's 2021 message of peace and goodwill to the world calls for "a future of confident women" and "an equal future for all".

One student said every woman could relate to the message.

The authors said the global pandemic had provided an opportunity to create a better, more equal future for women and girls.

The Urdd - Wales' largest national youth organisation - has sent a message of peace and goodwill for 99 years.

Last year's message was seen by 37 million people worldwide and this year it will translated into over 60 languages.

The 2021 message also talks about the use of positive rather than negative language when referring to women - "not bossy but self confident, not blunt but independent".

Alpha Evans is studying in her third year of Welsh at Swansea University and said it was a "massive honour" to be part of the peace and goodwill message this year.

She said: "It is such an important message that needs to be spread across the world and it is an honour that we have had the chance to be part of this this year."

"We all experience inequality in some way or another at some points in our life and this is a message that needs to be spread so that everyone understands what we do face."

"There is always a misunderstanding that women are bossy instead of confident and a misunderstanding that needs to be stopped," she added.

Katie Phillips agreed and said - while the message was close to the hearts of many women - gender equality affected everyone.

She said: "It has been such an honour to be a part of something that is so big and going globally with young people.

"It has been motivating and inspiring to work with these young people in something that is really close to our hearts."

"It is really important that we stand up against the stereotypes that are still around today - there are a lot of these stereotypes that as women in the workplace we have to try and bring down that men don't have."

"It is incredible to have it all these languages as well so people can interpret it in their language," she said.

Daniel Hall-Jones is a second year business management student at the university and said it was important to highlight the role men play in enabling equality for women.

"It is really important to me personally because it is a topic of great interest with me in my studies and in my personal life.

"We can't operate in a society and allow more open and prosperous communities if we can't have a man and a woman on equal terms and we can see that in different indicators such as the lack of women in Stem [science, technology, engineering and maths] and the gender pay gap.

He said that Sarah Everard's death in London showed "a woman has not been able to go out on her own in the streets and come back".

"As a man I think that we should take responsibility to allow women to feel more equal because we can't move forward and have a more inclusive society where women can feel equal to a man," he added.

The Urdd said it provided free period products at its centres and events.

It said it would make sure there was equal representation of women and men on its boards and offer its centres as retreats for vulnerable women.

Chief executive Sian Lewis said: "As a youth organisation we have a responsibility to ensure that the voice of young people is heard and this is an amazing platform and over the decades we have promoted those issues that concern young people and we have made sure the world listens to them.

"I am very proud of this year's message and very interested it has never been featured in the 99-year history of the message.

The Senedd building in Cardiff Bay will be lit up in the Urdd colours of white, red and green in support.

For the second year the message and the Urdd Eisteddfod will be held online due to the pandemic.

Public figures have supported the message on social media.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said a more equal future would be "a generation with vision, drive and commitment to Wales, peace, and the world".

Actor Michael Sheen wrote: "The voice of our young people is key to create a prosperous, equal and sustainable future."

The Prince of Wales also showed support for the message from the Clarence House Twitter account.