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I Was There

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A look back in time with the voices of the people who can say "I was there".

I Was There: When the National Assembly for Wales made waves across the world

When the Welsh Assembly made waves across the world

When the National Assembly for Wales made waves across the world

BBC Radio Wales - I Was There, When the National Assembly for Wales made waves across the worldSearch BBC

Chris Stuart reunites those who could say I Was There at a moment in Welsh history.

This week the show recalls the day in 2003 when the National Assembly for Wales become the first legislative body in the world to have equal numbers of men and women.

Chris Stuart reunites those who could say 'I Was There' at a moment in Welsh history.  This week the show recalls the day in 2003 when the Welsh Assembly become the first legislative body in the world to have equal numbers of men and women. To recall the impact achieving the 50:50 gender balance made Chris gathers together four women from across the political spectrum who were elected to the Assembly in that ground-breaking election - former AMs Jane Davidson (Labour), Lisa Francis (Conservative)  and current AMs Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) and Kirsty Williams (Liberal Democrat).

The women discuss the often controversial methods of positive action - "twinning" and "zipping" - that were taken by the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru respectively at the time to achieve a better gender balance and how the presence of equal numbers of women changed the tone of debate and the kind of issues and policies brought to the fore.

They reflect on the network of  sisterly support that could transcend the political divide and reflect on whether things have got worse for females in Welsh politics more recently against a backdrop of toxic social media abuse and a more aggressive political climate.

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I Was There

When the National Assembly for Wales made waves across the world

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