You couldn't make it up

I was weak with laughing at this report about a couple of women who ended up in court after fighting over ... wait for it ... whether a shark was scarier than a crocodile.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/merthyr/2009/12/17/judge-upholds-witch-s-assault-conviction-appeal-91466-25405691/

Discrimination against women in new health boards

Women have been sidelined in the appointments to the new health boards. Not one of the four boards has a female chair, and there is only one female Vice Chair is listed (Cwm Taf doesn't list its Vice Chair).  At Betsi Cadwaladr, there is only 1 woman to 5 men independent members; only 1 out of 7 at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, 1 out of 6 at Cwm Taf.  Cardiff and Vale manages to have 2 out of 8.

Is Mrs Hart really trying to convince us that there are just 5 women in the whole of Wales competent to sit on the Boards? Or perhaps discrimination is alive and kicking, just under another name - Ministerial appointment.

Elin Jones - Winner

The good news? Elin Jones has been voted AM of the year in the Wales Year Book Awards. She is, say the organisers in the Western Mail, 'a Plaid Cymru heavyweight' and it praises her 'highly competent running' of the rural affairs department.

The bad news? It's not that Elin is good full stop but, say the organisers, rural affairs 'is not usually seen as an obvious portfolio for a woman.'

Tell that to the thousands of women who run farms, make cheese, do the accounts, take sheep to market and so on. And why should a portfolio be more 'obvious' for a woman politician - does the Wales Year Book really think women are only suited to portfolios that include babies, sick people and cooking?

The dirty side of clean energy

Covanta - the company trying to build an 'energy from waste' plant in Merthyr Tydfil - aka an incinerator - seem to be splashing the cash to try to clean up their image.  Latest efforts include sponsoring a conference on green jobs, organised by the Institute of Welsh Affairs. They dished out free yoyos, perhaps representing their position on emisisons, and free toffees to chew on while we digested their literature.  Their annual report called 'This is clean' was also much in evidence.  No mention of their fine for pollution as reported in the Western Mail a few months ago.  It won't work Covanta.

A crack in the ceiling?

Wales now has its first woman vice chancellor of a university - Julie Lydon has been appointed as Vice Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan.  For all their supposedly progressive credentials, Wales's universities were stubbornly resistant to women entering their higher ranks, so this is good news.  But EHRC's review 'Who Runs Wales' shows that there is still a long long way to go. But still - ever crack in the glass ceiling makes it more likely it will eventually shatter. Roll on!!

Storm in a teacup

The fuss over the likely loss of women AMs following the next election is a storm in a teacup.  The so-called gender balance of the Assembly was trotted out as some great achievement. Meanwhile sweet nothing was being done by WAG to help ordinary women - on equal pay, child care, public transport, decent jobs and the rest. Yes, there was a lot more talk about domestic violence and other 'women's issues' - but action on the ground? No.  The number of women AMs hides the real problems. That is what I am concerned about and not a load of puff.

No welcome for Mike Tyson

The welcome dished out to Mike Tyson on his visit to Wales yesterday hard to believe.  He was mobbed by crowds in Merthyr Tydfil. as he went to pay his respects to Johnny Owen\s family, before going for drinks with Councillors. His visit was given front page coverage on the Western Mail, who only grudgingly acknowledged that he was 'controversial'.

Controversial! This man is a convicted rapist who served 3 years for an assaulting an 18 year old woman. 

It speaks volumes that the public and media are willing to conveniently overlook this while rolling out the red carpet.  The celebration in Wales compares with the protests that greeted his arrival in Belfast, where there was plenty of opposition.  Any illusion that Wales is fair and equal has just shattered.