CEDAW/C/GC/30 69. The Committee recommends that States parties: (a) Develop and implement disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in coordination with and within the framework of security sector reform; (b) Undertake gender-sensitive and gender-responsive security sector reform that results in representative security sector institutions that address women’s different security experiences and priorities; and liaise with women and women’s organizations; (c) Ensure that security sector reform is subject to inclusive oversight and accountability mechanisms with sanctions, including the vetting of ex-combatants; establish specialized protocols and units to investigate gender-based violations; and strengthen gender expertise and the role of women in oversight of the security sector; (d) Ensure women’s equal participation in all stages of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, from negotiation of peace agreements and establishment of national institutions to the design and implementation of programmes; (e) Ensure that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes specifically target female combatants and women and girls associated with armed groups as beneficiaries and that barriers to their equitable participation are addressed; and ensure that psychosocial and other support services are provided to them; (f) Ensure that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes specifically address women’s distinct needs in order to provide age-specific and gender-specific disarmament, demobilization and reintegration support, including by addressing the specific concerns of young mothers and their children without targeting them excessively and exposing them to further stigma. 9. Constitutional and electoral reform (arts. 1-5 (a), 7 and 15) 70. The post-conflict electoral reform and constitution-building process represents a crucial opportunity to lay the foundations for gender equality in the transition period and beyond. Both the process and substance of these reforms can set a precedent for women’s participation in social, economic and political life in the post-conflict period, in addition to providing a legal base from which women’s rights advocates can demand other types of gender-responsive reform that unfold in transitional periods. The importance of a gender perspective in post-conflict electoral and constitutional reform is also emphasized in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). 71. During the constitution-drafting process, the equal and meaningful participation of women is fundamental for the inclusion of constitutional guarantees of women’s rights. States parties must ensure that the new constitution enshrines the principle of equality between women and men and of non-discrimination, in line with the Convention. For women to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with men, it is important that they be given an equal start, through the adoption of temporary special measures to accelerate de facto equality. 13-54331 19/24