A/HRC/21/42 D. Adopting targeted interventions 72. One of the drivers of stigma is irrational assumptions that influence policy design and implementation. States should adopt policies and measures that are based on evidence, rather than on preconceptions. To establish the evidence base, States should undertake a comprehensive study on stigma, understand who is affected, for what reasons, and how stigma manifests itself. This requires both quantitative and qualitative data. Based on this assessment, States must take targeted measures and affirmative action to address groups that experience stigmatization. This will often require devoting greater resources to these groups, for instance through earmarked funds. 73. For example, some Slovenian municipalities have taken measures in response to the lack of access to water and sanitation in many Roma communities. Previously, either ownership or authorized occupation of a home was required to receive municipal services, thus the unauthorized status of a settlement was a barrier to services. The municipalities of Prekmurje region have waived these strict regulations, which has resulted in all but 3 of the 38 Roma settlements gaining access to services.48 E. Adopting technical measures 74. While the focus in combating stigma must be on bringing about societal change and changes in attitude, technical measures are still crucial to ensure accessibility, for instance for persons with disabilities or older persons, as are public health measures to prevent and cure neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation systems should be adjusted to avoid manual sanitation work. The provision of adequate facilities is crucial for menstrual hygiene management, since it is often the lack of a safe and clean space that prevents women and girls from exercising proper hygiene. 75. Water and sanitation interventions are transformative and can be an entry point for broader societal change. They facilitate the realization of other human rights, such as education, health and work. In many instances, water and sanitation interventions prove to be ideal starting points since everyone shares the need for these services, ensuring access brings tangible improvements in people‘s lives, and speaking about water and sanitation can be easier than addressing societal inequalities at large. To capitalize on that opportunity, technical measures need to be accompanied by measures that go beyond building infrastructure. F. Ensuring access to justice 76. One of the defining tenets of the human rights framework is accountability. States are obliged to put in place judicial and non-judicial accountability mechanisms to redress human rights violations. Mechanisms must be in place to investigate violations and punish the perpetrators. States must not allow impunity. They must provide for redress at the individual level, including restitution, compensation, satisfaction and/or guarantees of nonrepetition.49 Mechanisms at the international level, including the universal periodic review and the procedures of the treaty bodies, should be strengthened and applied in the context of human rights violations based on stigma. 48 49 Catarina de Albuquerque, On the Right Track: Good Practices in Realising the Rights to Water and Sanitation (Lisbon, 2012), p. 144. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 15 (2002) on the right to water, para. 55. 19