"RADICAL change" is needed to achieve gender equality in Wales, a report has said.

Earlier this year first minister Carwyn Jones said he wanted the Welsh Government to become a 'feminist government' and commissioned charity Chwarae Teg to put together a report into what can be done to make this a reality.

And, in its initial report released yesterday, Tuesday, the charity said: "To deliver the change required to be a world leader for gender equality there will be a need for a radical change in what we do and how we do it.

It continued: "In articulating a vision for gender equality and a more equal Wales, Welsh Government must be bold."

The charity also called on the Welsh Government to "lead by example" both in terms of policy and its own workforce, including taking steps to address the gender pay gap.

Welcoming the review, Mr Jones said he recognised there is much to be done to achieve gender equality, saying: “Chwarae Teg’s report shines a light on the things we need to improve and challenges us to do better.

He added: “Change needs to happen if Wales is going to become a world leader in women’s rights and gender equality.

"As the report says, we already have world-leading legislation in place and some progress has been made, but we must be more ambitious if we want to become a feminist government and improve the lives of women and girls.”

A steering group implementing the findings of the report will be led by leader of the house Julie James, who said: “This report is a direct and significant challenge to us - this is just what we expected and wanted.

“The report begins to pose the questions we need to ask ourselves and consider what we can do to strengthen the building blocks for achieving gender equality.

"There is vision and leadership in Wales to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, it needs to be strengthened.

"We can and will do better.”

AMs also debated the report in the Senedd yesterday, where Ms James said: "We've done very well in eliminating discrimination.

"What we haven't done well at is advancing equality."

And leader of the Assembly's Ukip group Caroline Jones said creating legislation aimed at tackling discrimination was not enough.

"Legislation will not tackle misogyny," she said.

"Positive discrimination will not eradicate prejudice.

"We have to change attitudes.

"We have to show the world that it is not okay to make comments on a woman's appearance rather than what she is saying.

"We have to show the world that men are not better than women, that girls can do anything that boys can, and we have to show the world that threatening to rape someone on Twitter will not be tolerated."

But Plaid Cymru's Bethan Sayed said the Welsh Government had not made enough progress on commitments around gender equality made in 2011.

"For the first minister now, at the end of his tenure, to tell me that he wants to have a feminist government, it's something that, quite frankly, I take with a pinch of salt, because we should have seen this happening sooner," she said.

"Women should not be in this position now.

"If his feminist government was in action when he was allocated his role as first minster, then we wouldn't be having this very debate here today."

View the full report at cteg.org.uk/rapid-review-of-gender-equality