United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEDAW/C/GC/40 Distr.: General 25 October 2024 Original: English Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women General recommendation No. 40 (2024) on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems Contents Page I. A road map to fifty-fifty parity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 II. Equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems as a gamechanging solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A. Peace and political stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 B. Sustainable, inclusive and human rights-based economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 C. Climate change and environmental disaster risk reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 D. Technological developments, including the rise of artificial intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 E. Transformation and sustainability of the multilateral system and governance . . . . . . . . . 6 Seven pillars of equal and inclusive representation of women in decision -making systems . . . 6 Fifty-fifty parity between women and men in decision-making systems as a starting point and universal norm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 B. Effective youth leadership conditioned by parity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 C. Intersectionality and the inclusion of women in all their diversity in decision -making systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 D. A comprehensive approach to decision-making systems across spheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 E. Equal power and influence exercised by women in decision-making systems . . . . . . . . . 9 F. Structural transformation for the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Civil society representation in decision-making systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Normative framework for the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision making systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 III. A. G. IV. 24-20036 (E) 221124 *2420036*