CEDAW/C/GC/40 principle of customary international law, as illustrated in general recommendation No. 35 (2017). 37. The Committee observes that legislation addressing gender-based violence against women is often lacking, in whole or in part, and, where it does exist, it is often not fully implemented. Gender-based violence against women in the public and the private sphere prevents women from taking initial steps toward representation in decision-making. When exercised against women in decision-making roles, it may push them out and constitute a chilling effect discouraging other women fr om reaching for such positions. Legislation to specifically address gender-based violence against women in political and public life, including against women human rights defenders, politicians, activists, journalists and voters, is frequently lacking. The Committee highlights the role of media outlets and social media platforms in committing, perpetuating and normalizing gender-based violence against women, and the role of political parties in trivializing such violence, including sexual harassment and other misogynistic behaviour, within their ranks. It also recognizes that gender based violence against women, including in decision-making, is often exacerbated for women who are subjected to intersectional discrimination. 38. The Committee stresses that gender-based violence against women, while discrimination itself, is the result of an unequal and discriminatory system, based on the structural domination and exclusion of women. While emphasizing the importance of adopting and implementing robust legislation to address gender-based violence against women, it also urges States parties to adopt a comprehensive approach and implement all rights under the Convention, including institutionalizing parity, as the key safeguard against gender-based violence against women. 39. The Committee recommends that States parties: (a) Adopt and enforce comprehensive legislation, including criminal legislation, and implement awareness-raising and educational measures, to prevent and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls and provide all necessary services and access to justice for victims; (b) Prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish all forms of gender-based violence against women, intimidation and hate speech in decision-making and against women candidates and office holders and combat the culture of silence and impunity; (c) Introduce codes of conduct, with an intersectional perspective, in parliament, government, regional and local councils and political parties, public service and private sector companies to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence against women and hate speech, with independent complaint mechanisms and confidential counselling and provide corresponding training to all officials and staff; (d) Provide effective redress and support services for women who are victims of gender-based violence in decision-making; (e) Offer safety, security, cybersecurity and digital defence training for women in decision-making roles, including supporting peer groups for young women facing gender-based violence against women caused by power imbalances in the workplace; (f) Ensure security at polling stations and during elections and prevent and punish election-related violence; (g) Ensure that social media companies have systems, contextualized to the region and country where they are used, to respond immediately, effectively and efficiently to user- and artificial intelligence-generated content constituting 24-20036 17/29