Amlygu’r materion: anghydraddoldeb a’r pandemig / Into sharp relief: inequality and the pandemic

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During the pandemic, our chances of dying, losing jobs or falling behind in education have in part been determined by our age, race, gender, disability, income and where we live. The virus and the response to it is widening existing inequalities, by reducing the incomes and increasing risks disproportionately for some groups of people.

The Welsh Government know that:

▪ Poverty has been a key determinant in the pandemic, from mortality rates to the risk of losing work or income, and educational attainment to overcrowded housing. People from certain ethnic groups, children, disabled people, carers, those living in private rented housing or working in certain sectors are all more likely to experience poverty. 44% of single parents, 90% of whom are women, live in poverty in Wales;

▪ Men, older people, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, people with existing health conditions, disabled people and people living in deprived areas have higher coronavirus mortality rates;

▪ Low earners, young people, women, and people of Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani ethnicity are more likely to work in ‘shutdown’ sectors. When these groups intersect the risk is compounded - for example 39% of all female employees under 25 work in shut-down sectors in Wales;

▪ Almost half of the lowest earners in Wales are employed in ‘shut down’ sectors, and they are ten times as likely as the highest earners to work in these sectors. Into sharp relief: inequality and the pandemic 1

▪ Women make up the majority of health and care staff, and have taken on the majority of unpaid care of children and relatives;

▪ There are fears that children with the lowest educational attainment before the pandemic will have fallen further behind their peers, such as boys, children of certain ethnicities, and those with SEN/ALN;

▪ Disabled people are particularly affected by social distancing and the changes to our built environment;

▪ As well as being most at risk of the virus, older people have experienced additional distress due to fears about access to treatment and care, isolation due to shielding, and abuse;

▪ Migrants are at particular risk of destitution due to being more likely to work in shut down sectors but also their restricted access to benefits and other public funds.

The recovery must be targeted at those who have lost the most, and this opportunity must be used to rectify existing inequalities

Since March the Welsh Government has taken a number of measures to address the specific or unequal effects on certain groups of people.

For example, providing an additional £10million of funding to help get rough sleepers into temporary accommodation; providing a sign language interpreter at daily press briefings and making £3 million available to make sure children have access to laptops while schools were closed.

The evidence we have gathered demonstrates that this commitment to equality and human rights must now move beyond the immediate situation and begin to plan for a fairer Wales.

Many respondents to our inquiry stressed the need for immediate action, rather than the production of more strategies.

The Welsh Government has an excellent framework in its new strategic equality plan and objectives for 2020-24 and its aim in the recovery plan for measures to have a ‘high equality impact’.

Click here to read the full report.

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Yn ystod y pandemig, mae ein tebygolrwydd o farw, colli swydd neu fynd ar ei hôl hi ym maes addysg wedi cael ei benderfynu’n rhannol gan ein hoedran, hil, rhyw, anabledd, incwm a ble rydyn ni'n byw. Mae'r feirws a'r ymateb iddo yn ehangu'r anghydraddoldebau presennol, a hynny drwy leihau incwm a chynyddu risgiau yn anghymesur i rai grwpiau o bobl.

Rydym yn gwybod y canlynol:

▪ Mae tlodi wedi bod yn benderfynydd allweddol yn y pandemig, o gyfraddau marwolaeth i'r risg o golli gwaith neu incwm, ac o gyrhaeddiad addysgol i dai gorlawn. Mae pobl o rai grwpiau ethnig, plant, pobl anabl, gofalwyr, y rhai sy'n byw mewn tai rhent preifat neu'n gweithio mewn rhai sectorau i gyd yn fwy tebygol o brofi tlodi. Mae 44 y cant o rieni sengl, gyda 90 y cant o’r rhain yn fenywod, yn byw mewn tlodi yng Nghymru;

▪ Mae cyfraddau marwolaethau coronafeirws yn uwch ymysg dynion; pobl hŷn; pobl o grwpiau pobl dduon, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig; pobl â chyflyrau iechyd presennol; pobl anabl a phobl sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig;

▪ Mae pobl ar incwm isel, pobl ifanc, menywod a phobl o ethnigrwydd Bangladeshaidd, Du Caribïaidd a Phacistanaidd yn fwy tebygol o weithio mewn sectorau 'dan glo'. Pan fydd y grwpiau hyn yn croestorri, mae'r risg yn mynd yn waeth - er enghraifft mae 39 y cant o’r holl weithwyr benywaidd o dan 25 oed yn gweithio mewn sectorau dan glo yng Nghymru; Amlygu’r materion: anghydraddoldeb a’r pandemig 1

▪ Mae bron i hanner y bobl ar yr incwm isaf yng Nghymru yn cael eu cyflogi mewn sectorau 'dan glo', ac maent ddeg gwaith yn fwy tebygol na'r bobl ar yr incwm uchaf i weithio yn y sectorau hyn.

▪ Menywod yw mwyafrif y staff iechyd a gofal, ac maent wedi cymryd cyfrifoldeb am y rhan fwyaf o’r gofal di-dâl i blant a theulu;

▪ Mae ofnau y bydd plant â'r cyrhaeddiad addysgol isaf cyn y pandemig wedi cwympo ymhellach y tu ôl i'w cyfoedion, fel bechgyn, plant o ethnigrwydd penodol, a'r rhai ag anghenion addysgol arbennig/anghenion dysgu ychwanegol;

▪ Mae cadw pellter cymdeithasol a'r newidiadau i'n hamgylchedd adeiledig yn effeithio ar bobl anabl yn arbennig;

▪ Yn ogystal â bod fwyaf mewn perygl o'r feirws, mae pobl hŷn wedi profi trallod ychwanegol oherwydd ofnau ynghylch mynediad at driniaeth a gofal, arwahanrwydd oherwydd trefniadau gwarchod, a chamdriniaeth;

▪ Mae mewnfudwyr mewn perygl penodol o gael eu hamddifadu oherwydd eu bod yn fwy tebygol o weithio mewn sectorau dan glo, ond hefyd eu mynediad cyfyngedig at fudd-daliadau ac arian cyhoeddus arall.

Mae’n rhaid targedu'r adferiad at y rheini sydd fwyaf ar eu colled, ac mae’n rhaid defnyddio'r cyfle hwn i unioni anghydraddoldebau presennol.

Ers mis Mawrth, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cymryd nifer o fesurau i fynd i'r afael â'r effeithiau penodol neu anghyfartal ar grwpiau arbennig o bobl.

Er enghraifft, cyllid ychwanegol o £10 miliwn i helpu pobl sy’n cysgu ar y stryd i gael llety dros dro, darparu dehonglwr iaith arwyddion yn y sesiynau briffio dyddiol i'r wasg a darparu £3 miliwn i sicrhau bod gan blant fynediad at liniaduron tra bod ysgolion ar gau.

Mae'r dystiolaeth rydym wedi’i chasglu yn dangos bod yn rhaid i'r ymrwymiad hwn i gydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol fynd y tu hwnt i'r sefyllfa uniongyrchol a dechrau cynllunio ar gyfer Cymru decach.

Pwysleisiodd llawer o ymatebwyr i'n hymchwiliad fod angen gweithredu ar unwaith, yn hytrach na chreu mwy o strategaethau.

Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru fframwaith rhagorol yn ei chynllun cydraddoldeb strategol ac amcanion newydd ar gyfer 2020-24 a'i nod yn y cynllun adfer i fesurau gael effaith fawr ar gydraddoldeb.

Cliciwch yma i ddarllen yr adroddiad llawn.