Stonewall Cymru

www.stonewallcymru.org.uk
Stonewall Cymru

Stonewall Cymru

Devolution in Wales has brought significant progress in changing the situation of lesbian, gay and bisexual people for the better, and the National Assembly has sought to find solutions appropriate to Wales. This page gives a brief review of the work of Stonewall Cymru in its first three years of operation, from 2002 to 2005.

The LGB Forum Cymru was established in 2002 through the joint support and funding of the National Assembly of Wales and Stonewall (UK). In 2003 the LGB Forum Executive Committee changed the name to Stonewall Cymru to gain increased support from Stonewall (UK) and access to their expertise and resources.

The Government of Wales Act 1998 requires that:

The Assembly make appropriate arrangements to secure that its functions are exercised with due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people.

The Assembly publish an annual report on its arrangements for promoting equality and their effectiveness.

To give life to these duties, the Assembly supported the development of four consultative networks in Wales designed to promote participation of marginalised groups policy making and service delivery: All Wales Ethnic Minorities Association, Disability Wales, Wales Women's National Coalition and  Stonewall Cymru.

In addition, a Standing Committee on  Equality of Opportunity was set up, which includes representatives from the three statutory equality commissions: the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission and also recognizes equality by language, sexual orientation, age, and faith, as well as in relation to gypsy-travellers and refugees. Stonewall Cymru has a standing invitation to attend the Committee on Equality of Opportunity meetings as an advisory body on the needs of LGB people in Wales.

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