CEDAW/C/GC/36 80. The trend continues in the level of participation of women in political processes and decision-making, where, because women remain poorly represented, they cannot effectively influence policy that affects them. In 2017, the proportion of women holding elected or nominated government positions worldwide was approximately 1:4, compared with men. In the lower houses of parliaments, women hold 23.4 per cent of representative posts and in the upper houses, 22.9 per cent. The same trend is evident in the representation of women as members and chairs of public and private sector boards. Women continue to be largely marginalized in the political sphere and in boardrooms as a result of discriminatory laws, practices, attitudes and gender stereotypes. 81. The Committee recommends that States parties pursue the following measures to achieve the equal participation of women in social, economic and political processes, as well as in decision-making positions in all sectors: (a) Train teachers to adopt constructivist teaching strategies that equip girls and women with critical thinking skills and a sense of positive self-worth and confidence to participate equally with men in high-level and decisionmaking positions in the social, economic and political spheres; (b) Adapt the options and content of girl’s and women’s education, in particular at the higher levels to increase their participation in scientific, technical and managerial courses of study, and thereby their qualifications, in order to ensure access to high-level jobs and decision-making positions, in particular in male-dominated professions and jobs; (c) Strengthen civic and citizenship education in schools and genderresponsive continuing adult literacy programmes aimed at enhancing the roles of women and their participation in the family and society; (d) Recognize the importance of empowering all women through education and training in government, public policy, economics, information and communications technology and science to ensure that they develop the knowledge and skills needed to make full contributions in all spheres of public life; (e) Protect the right of women to decent work by challenging the entrenched horizontal segregation of labour markets where men are privileged and predominantly positioned in high-status occupational sectors on the basis of patronage rather than merit; (f) Improve and broaden women’s access to information and communications technologies, including e-government tools, in order to enable political participation and to promote engagement in broader democratic processes, while also improving the responsiveness of such technologies to the needs of women, including those of marginalized women; (g) Develop appropriate tools, skills and training programmes, in consultation with women, to equip and empower them to participate in leadership positions and to assume responsibilities in public life; (h) Take all appropriate measures to eliminate the prejudices and gender stereotypes that constitute barriers to women’s access to and full participation in the social, economic and political spheres. 22/23 17-19774