A/HRC/23/50 violence directed at women who speak out and play leadership roles during times of war and peace. As articulated in the agreed conclusions of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission for the Status of Women, these laws must provide for multidisciplinary and gender-sensitive preventive and protective measures, such as emergency barring orders and protection orders; the investigation, submission for prosecution and appropriate punishment of perpetrators to end impunity; and support services that empower victims and survivors, as well as access to appropriate civil remedies and redress. 88. Transitional justice mechanisms should provide accountability for gross violations of human rights affecting women, a comprehensive analysis of gender-based violence and abuse by past regimes, the means for transformative reparations for women victims, and the foundation for a gender-responsive reform of the political and legal institutions as part of the guarantee of non-recurrence. 4. Implementation and enforcement of law 89. Effective elimination of discrimination against women in political and public life relies on the capacity to implement legal guarantees of equality between men and women in this field. National women’s machineries set up within the executive bodies of States have been consistently underresourced and are therefore disadvantaged in carrying out their functions. Autonomous women’s movements which promote universal standards of equality and non-discrimination are key players, both for maintaining the continued existence of these national machineries as well as for promoting their effectiveness. The equal participation of women from minority, indigenous and other marginalized communities in decision-making positions is the measure of a full implementation of legal guarantees and measures. 90. NHRIs play a crucial role in providing human rights protection and access to redress for politically active women at risk. Given the complex obstacles deeply rooted in structural inequalities and multiple intersections of social-cultural exclusion, women’s effective participation in political and public life can be achieved only when they have equal and full access to all mechanisms of independent human rights monitoring and redress, particularly in contexts where the risks are high. Gender responsiveness and gender balance in NHRIs and other human rights institutions at the regional and international levels are imperative. 91. However, there are no international standards for NHRIs to integrate gender and women’s rights into their work, resulting in the uneven responsiveness of NHRIs to the specific protection needs of women in political and public life, including women human rights defenders and female politicians at the local level. Specialized NHRIs on women’s human rights exist in some countries, but no mechanism guarantees coordination between specialized and the main national human rights bodies, resulting in serious gaps and the risk of fragmented national human rights systems. 92. Making justice systems work for women, whether by catalysing legal reform, or supporting legal aid, one-stop shops and training for judges, is key to the sustainability of women’s political participation. This area requires investment. Recognizing the importance of strengthening the rule of law, Governments spend a significant amount on legal and judicial development and human rights. However, targeted funding for gender equality remains low, and gender budgeting initiatives are primarily focused on providing financial resources within State institutions. 93. Civil society organizations have supported ground-breaking cases on women’s rights generally and as they relate to participation in public and political life. This underlines the importance of securing the capacity of civil society organizations to sustainably fund their critical work, including in the areas of litigation for violations of women’s rights. 20