CEDAW/C/GC/33 measures should be multidimensional and directed at girls and women, as well as boys and men, and should take account of the relevance and potential of ICT to transform cultural and social stereotypes; (c) Support and involve media bodies and people working with ICT in a continuing public dialogue about women’s human rights in general and within the context of access to justice in particular; (d) Take steps to promote a culture and a social environment in which justice-seeking by women is viewed as both legitimate and acceptable rather than as cause for additional discrimination and/or stigmatization. E. Legal aid and public defence 36. A crucial element in guaranteeing that justice systems are economically accessible to women is the provision of free or low-cost legal aid, advice and representation in judicial and quasi-judicial processes in all fields of law. 37. The Committee recommends that States parties: (a) Institutionalize systems of legal aid and public defence that are accessible, sustainable and responsive to the needs of women, ensure that such services are provided in a timely, continuous and effective manner at all stages of judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, including alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and restorative justice processes, and ensure the unhindered access of legal aid and public defence providers to all relevant documentation and other information, including witness statements; (b) Ensure that legal aid and public defence providers are competent and gender-sensitive, respect confidentiality and are granted adequate time to defend their clients; (c) Conduct information and awareness-raising programmes for women about the existence of legal aid and public defence services and the conditions for obtaining them using ICT effectively to facilitate such programmes; (d) Develop partnerships with competent non-governmental providers of legal aid and/or train paralegals to provide women with information and assistance in navigating judicial and quasi-judicial processes and traditional justice systems; (e) In cases of family conflict or when a woman lacks equal access to family income, the use of means testing to determine eligibility for legal aid and public defence services should be based on the real income or disposable assets of the woman. 12 F. Resources 38. Highly qualified human resources, combined with adequate technical and financial resources, are essential to ensure the justiciability, availability, __________________ 12 15-13094 United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, guideline 1 (f): “If the means test is calculated on the basis of the household income of a family, but individual family members are in conflict with each other or do not have equal access to the family income, only the income of the person applying for legal aid is used for the purpose of the means test.” 15/25