Tory Laura Anne Jones is the youngest AM

But race equality activists have expressed disappointment that no ethnic minority candidates have landed a seat in the Cardiff Bay legislature following the 1 May poll.

More women than ever will be in the corridors of Welsh power after the 2003 vote, even though there were no women candidates in around a fifth of the 40 constituency seats.

Nineteen of Labour's 30 AMs are women - five of them new to the assembly.

Recount

They include Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey, the new AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire and the daughter of veteran MP Gwyneth Dunwoody.

We were concerned that the gender balance could slip as in some parts of Wales there were no women candidates name here

And Denise Idris-Jones, who regained Conwy, a three-way marginal with one of the narrowest majorities of the election, just 72 votes, after a second recount.

The party's Catherine Thomas can lay claim to the smallest majority in the new assembly line-up.

She edged out Plaid's Helen Mary Jones - who was returned via the regional list - by just 21 votes in Llanelli.

One of Labour's first and most notable successes was Irene James recapturing Islwyn, considered one of its Valleys heartlands.

For the first time, the Conservatives have women AMs.

Labour's Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey has an MP mother

The youngest AM elected was also the first woman for the Tories, Laura Anne Jones, 24, selected as one of the four list AMs for the South Wales East region.

The second was Lisa Francis who also gained election via her regional list in Mid and West Wales.

Ruth Marks, chief executive of the Welsh equality body, Chwarae Teg, said: "We were concerned, going into the elections, that the gender balance, one of the best in Europe, could slip as in some parts of Wales there were no women candidates standing at all but this thankfully has not happened.

"Key to women playing a greater role in the economy of Wales is ensuring that any hindrance to entering the workforce is minimised.

"So we will be continuing to press the Welsh Assembly Government for more affordable and quality childcare provision and also care for the elderly and dependent relatives the responsibility for which traditionally falls to women."

But the Campaign for Racial Equality Wales (CRE) said it was disappointed that no ethnic minority candidates were elected.

Labour ethnic minority candidate Cherry Short failed to win a seat

Labour's Cherry Short, the only ethnic minority candidate in a winnable position, failed to gain a Mid and West Wales seat due to the party's constituency success in the region, including that of Catherine Thomas.

The CRE said: "It is with regret that we express our disappointment, and that of all ethnic minority communities in Wales, at the failure to elect an ethnic minority representative in yesterday's election.

"We must now take time to reflect and re-visit the values and ambitions of the Welsh nation, devolution and the assembly itself.

"At a time where far-right groups play on the fears of fair-minded people, political parties have a greater responsibility to mainstream racial equality in political debate and policy-making, and to ensure that race equality practice is seen to work in the interests of all in Wales.