CEDAW/C/GC/40 articles 1 and 3, recognizing the interrelated nature of women’s rights across all fields of life. The Committee also highlights the need for the equal and inclusive representation of women in all emerging fields, including artificial intelligence. E. Equal power and influence exercised by women in decision-making systems 19. The Convention stipulates that women enjoy equal rights with men. In its general recommendation No. 23 (1997), the Committee stresses that a tokenistic approach is unacceptable – women must be involved equally in decision-making at all levels. However, patriarchal norms often limit women’s opportunities to accede to senior levels of decision-making, where they could drive and influence agendas. The distribution of decision-making roles also often reflects patterns of gender segregation: the allocation of ministerial portfolios, for example, tends to be based on assumptions about stereotyped male and female responsibilities. Equal and inclusive representation in decision-making means that all roles are accessible to women and men at all levels. It also means revaluing and prioritizing issues, as well as ensuring parity across issues. F. Structural transformation for the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems 20. The preamble and articles 5 and 11 (2) (c) stipulate that changing stereotyped gender roles in society and the family, as well as a reclassification of work is needed to achieve full equality. In its general recommendation No. 23 (1997), the Committee elaborates how domestic work and care obligations, women’s economic dependence on men and long and inflexible working hours constitute obstacles to women’s equal and inclusive access to decision-making. Changing these norms and stereotypes requires the structural transformation of gendered roles and responsibilities across the public and private spheres, fostering a context in which women and men can equally integrate professional duties and competencies and family and other care responsibilities, including through a new organization of work and a reconfiguration of the concepts of productivity, monetization and the care economy. G. Civil society representation in decision-making systems 21. The representation of women in civil society is essential for integrating a gender perspective in decision-making and for advising States in the development of genderresponsive legislation and policies. In particular, the role of women’s rights organizations and women human rights defenders must be seen as equally important as that of other civil society organizations, and parity must also be achieved in civil society organizations. To create more inclusive forms of governance, States should open pathways and remove any obstacles, reverse the increasing closing of civic space, ensure rights protection and provide financial support and capacity -building to women’s and girls’ organizations and women human rights defenders, so that they can participate substantively in all fields of decision-making, including but also going beyond issues that are narrowly perceived as “women’s issues”. Support should also be provided to other civil society organizations to establish a parity -based system, to see it as their role and to develop their capacity to work towards parity. 24-20036 9/29