Plaid Cymru Admit Unlawfully Discriminating Against FiLiA
English version followed by Welsh version.
For Immediate Release
The Welsh political party withdrew a contract for the feminist charity to have a stall at their Spring Conference.
In February of this year, grassroots feminist charity FiLiA signed a contract with Plaid Cymru to have a stand at their March Spring Conference. However, this was cancelled by the Party with less than a week to go.
Plaid Cymru representative Elin Jones, chair of Plaid Cymru’s steering committee for its Spring Conference, emailed the organisation on 19th March 2024 – less than 48 hours before the conference was due to start – to cancel the booking, it was stated that this was due to the following: ''some of FiLiA’s positions are potentially contrary to the party’s values – for instance on trans rights'' and indicating that the presence of the stall would prevent the conference from being a ‘safe space’.
This week, after previously accepting the cancellation amounted to a breach of the contract with FiLiA and offering partial compensation for FiLiA’s costs, Plaid Cymru have accepted that the decision to cancel this booking on the basis of FiLiA’s protected beliefs amounted to an act of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
Lisa-Marie Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of FiLiA said:
‘Whilst we are pleased that Plaid Cymru has admitted discrimination, there is a clear need to actively tackle the same within their own party, ensuring that women are safe from bullying, harassment and intimidation when speaking out in support of single sex spaces.
‘Women have spent years challenging attempts to prevent us taking up space and using our voices. We are being refused stalls at political party conferences, denied the use of venues for meetings, and all this alongside the usual abuse meted out to women who dare to defend our rights. The admission of discrimination by Plaid Cymru is a small and welcome step, but we still have a long way to go, and I can promise you that we are not shutting up or going away.’
A Plaid Cymru member and FiLiA supporter, who asked not to be named said:
‘I'm really glad that Plaid has admitted discrimination. Withdrawing permission for FiLiA to attend Conference and talk to delegates about women's rights was outrageous.
‘But this is just a start. There is still a culture in the Party that makes it very difficult to speak about things like the right of women and girls who have survived rape and sexual assault to single-sex support services. I don't feel safe to use my name today, because I've been subject to harassment and bullying in the past after speaking on these issues, and the Party hasn't protected me.
‘The Leadership needs to support women and girls who raise concerns, and challenge those who harass and silence us.
‘I hope that FiLiA will apply to attend future Conferences. Our Party needs to have sensible discussions about competing rights and how to balance them. Listening to organisations that put women's rights first can help us with that. But things won't really change until women in Plaid can speak out. And we can't yet.’
Jon Heath, Levins Solicitors said:
‘We’re pleased to have been able to help FiLiA to recover their losses and secure an admission and apology. It is remarkable that Plaid Cymru thought – without even enquiring about the beliefs of our client’s trustees – that the presence of a women’s rights charity would make their conference an unsafe space. Service-providers, and particularly those who are also political parties, must do more to instil a robust culture of tolerance within their organisations.’
Naomi Cunningham, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers said:
‘Plaid Cymru’s tight-lipped and grudging concession implies that it thinks “the law as it stands” is unsatisfactory, and it is hoping for a change of law that will enable it to discriminate on grounds of “gender-critical” belief in future. Activists are free to work towards that change if they choose, but meanwhile political parties along with public authorities, service-providers and employers must all comply with the law as it is.’
Mae Plaid Cymru’n cyfaddef anffafriaeth yn anghyfreithlon yn erbyn FiLiA
Tynodd Plaid Cymru cytundeb ar gyfer yr elusen ffeministaidd cael stondin yn y cynhadledd y Gwanwyn
Ym mis Chwefror eleni, arwyddodd elusen ffeministaidd y werin FiLiA gyda Plaid Cymru i gael stondin yn eu cynhadledd y Gwanwyn ym mis Mawrth. Sut bynnag, canslwyd hyn gan y blaid gyda llai nag wythnos i fynd.
E-bostodd Elin Jones, cynrychiolydd Plaid Cymru a chadeirydd pwyllgor llywio’r gynhadledd, y sefydliad ar 19eg Mawrth – llai na 48 awr cyn dechrau’r gynhadledd – i ganslo’r archeb, gyda safbwynt credoau FiLiA ar ‘hawliau trans’ a nodi byddai presenoldeb y stondin atal y gynhadledd rhag bod yn ‘lle diogel’.
Yr wythnos yma, ar ôl derbyn o’r blaen roedd y canslad yn tor-cytundeb gyda FiLiA ac yn cynnig iawndal rhannol am gostau FiLiA, mae Plaid Cymru cynnig derbyn bod penderfyniad i ganslo’r archeb ar sail credoau gwarchodedig FiLiA oedd gweithred o anffafriaeth o dan Y Ddefdd Cydraddoldeb 2010.
Meddai Lisa-Marie Taylor, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol FiLiA:
“Tra byddwn yn falch bod Plaid Cymru wedi cyfaddef anffafriaeth, mae angen clir i daclo’n weithredol tu mewn eu plaid eu hunain, gan sicrhau bod merched yn ddiogel rhag bwlïaidd, aflonyddu a bygythion wrth siarad allan o blaid lleoedd un rhyw.’
‘Am flynyddoedd mae merched wedi herio ymdrechion i’n atal ni llenwi lleoedd a defnyddio ein lleisiau. Gwrthodir ni stondinau mewn cynadleddau pleidiau gwleidyddol, ni chaniateir i ni ddefnyddio lleoliadau am gyfarfodydd, ac hyn i gyd ochr yn ochr â’r camdrin arferol a anelir at ferched sy’n amddiffyn ein hawliau. Mae addefiad anffafriaeth gan Plaid Cymru yn gam bach i’w groesawu, ond mae yna ffordd bell i fynd o hyd, a gallaf addo nid byddwn yn dawel neu mynd i ffwrdd.’
Meddai aelod Plaid Cymru a chefnogwr FiLiA, a ofynnodd am beidio â chael ei enwi:
‘Dwi’n hapus iawn i fod Plaid wedi cyfaddef anffafriaeth. Roedd tynnu caniatâd i FiLiA mynychu Cynhadledd yn warthus.
Ond dim ond y dechrau yw hyn. Mae yna diwylliant o hyd yn y blaid sy’n ei gwneud yn anodd i siarad am bethau fel hawliau menywod a merched sydd wedi goroesi trais rhywiol ac ymosodiad rhywiol i gael mynediad i lleoedd un rhyw. Nid yw’n teimlo’n saff i ddefnyddio fy enw i Heddiw, achos dwi wedi profi aflonyddu a bwlio yn y gorffennol ar ôl siarad am y materion hyn, nid yw Plaid wedi fy amddiffyn.
Mae angen i’r arweinyddiaeth gefnogi menywod a merched sy’n codi pryderon, ac yn herio’r rhai sy’n ein haflonyddu a’n tawelu ni.
Dwi’n gobeithio bydd FiLiA yn gwneud cais i fynychu’r cynadleddau yn y dyfodol. Mae angen i’r plaid cael trafodaethau synhwyrol am hawliau sy’n cystadlu gyda’n gilydd a sut i’w cydbwyso. Gall gwrando ar sefydliadau sy’n rhoi hawliau merched yn gyntaf i helpu gyda hynny. Ond ni fydd pethau’n newid nes all merched yn Plaid siarad allan. Ac ni allwn eto.’
Meddai Jon Heath, Cyfreithwyr Levins:
‘Rydym yn falch o fod wedi helpu FiLiA adennill eu colledion a sicrhau cyfaddefiad ac ymddiheuriad. Mae’n hynod a meddyliodd Plaid Cymru – heb ymholi am gredoau ymddiriedolwyr ein cleientiaid – byddai presenoldeb elusen hawliau merched gwneud y gynhadledd i mewn i le anniogel. Rhaid i ddarparwyr gwasanaeth, yn enwedig y rhai sy’n bleidiau gwleidyddol, gwneud mwy i osod diwylliant cadarn o oddefgarwch i mewn eu sefydliadau.’
Meddai Naomi Cunningham, Bargyfreithiwr, Siambrau OuterTemple:
Mae gwefus dynn a chonsesiwn amharod Plaid Cymru’n awgrymu ei bod yn meddwl bod ‘y gyfraith fel y mae’ yn anfoddhaol, ac mae’n gobeithio am newid yn y gyfraith a fydd yn ei alluogi i anffafrio ar sail cred ‘gender critical’ yn y dyfodol. Mae gweithredwyr yn rhydd i weithio tuag at newid os mae nhw’n dewis, ond yn y cyfamser rhaid i bleidiau gwleidyddol, awdurdodau cyhoeddus, darparwyr gwasanaeth a chyflogwyr gydymffurfio â’r gyfraith fel y mae.’
Notes
Contact: Lisa-Marie Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, FiLiA. Email: lisa-marie@filia.org.uk
FiLiA is a proud, grassroots, women-led charity. The focus of our work has historically been our annual conference, which we have organised since 2013 and is the largest feminist conference in Europe. Over this time, FiLiA has platformed hundreds of speakers, artists and campaigners from 70+ countries; taken the event around the UK in order to engage more Women; grown to a 3-day gathering with almost 2,000 attending last year. Tickets are available now for the next conference, to be held on 10-12 October 2025 in Southern England.
FiLiA’s mission is to:
♀ Build Sisterhood and Solidarity (locally, nationally, globally)
♀ Amplify the Voices of Women (particularly those less often heard or purposefully silenced)
♀ Defend Women’s Human Rights