A/HRC/23/50 IV. Conclusions and recommendations 94. For women’s participation in political and public life to be meaningful it must be on equal footing with that of men, covering all aspects of political and public life, and effective in achieving substantive outcomes on equality between men and women in all fields of life. Women’s economic independence and the economic viability of their enterprises and collective actions are crucial, and the conditions necessary for this to be achievable is distinct for differently located women, defined by the unique intersections of multiple forms of discrimination experienced by them. Political transitions do not always lead to inclusive democracy and long-lasting peace, and require the effectiveness of autonomous women’s movements to ground universal standards of human rights in political and public life. 95. Women’s capacity for equal participation in all aspects of political and public life depends on a coherent set of social and economic policies directed at the family, workplace and marketplace. It also requires their capacity to engage in complex issues such as peace and security, state-building, and extreme poverty and all forms of social exclusion. Positive action is needed to empower women to produce knowledge and engage actively and creatively in these fields. As women act collectively to overcome the structural barriers they face, sustainable access of these groups or communities to adequate resources, including financial, is critical. 96. The right mix of special measures, both temporary and permanent, is required to address reported stagnation in the rise in women’s participation in public office. Partial and selective application of gender quotas and other temporary special measures must be replaced by a comprehensive system-wide approach, in permanent as well as ad hoc institutions of governance, peace, development and human rights, at the local, national and global levels. The emerging framework for global governance of information and communications technologies (ICTs) is particularly important, considering the crucial role that ICTs are playing in the political and public life of women. 97. The Working Group recommends that States: (a) Take concrete steps towards achieving parity in political decisionmaking and leadership at all levels through a multifaceted approach that is responsive to the different obstacles faced by women, including in dealing with multiple discrimination. States should: (i) Strengthen the legislative foundation towards parity, including through constitutional provisions and other legislative measures for positive action, such as quotas, to overcome structural barriers to women’s political participation; (ii) Provide effective policy measures to increase women’s electability for public office and in key institutions of political and public life, including political parties; (iii) Address any indication of stagnation and segregation in the progress towards parity by designing and implementing innovative strategies to overcome specific barriers; (iv) Develop strategies to support capacity development for women in public office, including through national and international cooperation among peers; (v) Enhance the capacity to consistently and regularly monitor progress at all levels of decision-making across the whole spectrum of institutions of public and political life; 21