the cescr has adopted the term substantive equality and has said that laws policies and practices of state parties may perpetuate inequality between men and women because they do not take account of existing economicsocial and cultural inequalities experienced by women cescr he notes that as long as we simply recognize the role of women in the care economy by accommodating their specific needs the existing division of roles within the household and associated gender stereotypes will remain in place and could even be reinforced this dimension is stressed by the hrc with surprising robustness in relation to underrepresentation of women in politicsand in the publicand private sectors where state parties are regularly urged to institute temporary special measures to address the problem article of cedaw requires state parties to makes it clear that temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between women and men should not be considered discriminatory but they should be discontinued when the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment have been achieved this contrasts with special measures such as those aimed at protecting maternity which should not be temporary article