WHRIN is a global platform to expand harm reduction approaches for women.

WHRIN es una plataforma global orientada a reducir los daños asociados al consumo de drogas por parte de mujeres, así como a desarrollar un entorno que favorezca la implementación y expansión de recursos orientados a mujeres para la reducción de daños.

WHRIN est une tribune internationale travaillant pour la réduction des risques associés à la prise de drogues par les femmes et cherchant à développer un environnement adapté à la mise en œuvre des politiques de réduction des risques pour les femmes.

Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN)

Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Statement delivered by the International Drug Policy Consortium

On behalf of IDPC, alongside five organisations, we welcome the new report by the UN Special Rapporteurs on poverty and housing on ending the criminalisation of homelessness and poverty. We echo the report’s call on States to repeal all laws and policies that penalise individuals for structural inequality, and to move away from punitive and carceral approaches.

There is overwhelming evidence showing that the criminalisation of drug use and of sex work is deeply discriminatory, disproportionately affecting people on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity and class. It also increases exposure to physical and sexual violence. It is used as adriver of other harmful policies, for instance by restricting access to safe housing and shelter, as well as to safe places of work and labour rights for sex workers.

Positively, a growing number of UN entities and experts have called for the decriminalisation of both drug use and sex work, while an increasing number of jurisdictions are moving towards this policy option.

But more remains to be done. We call on the Special Rapporteur to specifically call for the decriminalisation of all activities related to both drug use and sex work, as a human rights imperative. This should be accompanied with measures to address stigma, racism and discrimination.

Finally, we call on the Special Rapporteur to encourage Member States to consider the responsible legal regulation of drugs - as recommended by the OHCHR and the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, among many others.

Women and Harm Reduction International Network

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP)

Decriminalising drug use and sex work to end the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness - IDPC and colleagues' submission to the UNSRs on the right to adequate housing and on extreme poverty and human rights

Breaking the cycle: Ending the criminalization of homelessness and poverty

 - Report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Repeal punitive laws against poverty and inequality - Interactive Dialogue with the UNSR extreme poverty and human rights at HRC56


While research has demonstrated associations between experiencing violence from intimate and non-intimate partners and non-fatal drug overdose among women who inject drugs, existing studies focus predominantly on the Global North and are analytically limited. Guided by syndemics theory, this study examined whether different forms of gender-based violence exert independent and interactive effects on non-fatal drug overdose among women who inject drugs in Indonesia.


We recruited 731 cisgender adult women who injected drugs in the preceding year via respondent-driven sampling. We used multivariate logistic regressions to examine associations between self-reported intimate partner violence (IPV), police sexual violence, and police extortion, and non-fatal drug overdose, with covariance adjustment for factors drawn from the risk environment. We tested for interaction effects among violence measures by calculating metrics for attributable proportion (AP), relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), and synergy index (S).


Experiencing IPV (AOR 2.5; 95 % CI 1.2, 5.1; p = 0.012), police extortion (AOR 2.2; 95 % CI 1.5, 3.2; p ≤ 0.001), and police sexual violence (AOR 3.7; 95 % CI 1.5, 9.4; p = 0.005) each independently predicted non-fatal overdose, after adjusting for potential confounders. A significant positive interaction was detected between IPV and police sexual violence on drug overdose (AP=0.6, p = 0.001; S = 3.8, p = 0.015) such that the joint effect of these two forms of violence was associated with a nearly fourfold increase in non-fatal overdose risk compared to the main effects of each violence exposure.


This is the first study to show that concurrent IPV and police sexual violence exert an amplifying effect on non-fatal overdose beyond the additive effects of each exposure. Supporting the value of gender-responsive harm reduction services that integrate violence and overdose responses, results suggest that eliminating one form of violence when multiple forms of GBV are present could magnify the expected reduction in overdose.

Synergistic effects of exposure to multiple types of violence on non-fatal drug overdose among women who inject drugs in Indonesia

The signing organisations (the International Drug Policy Consortium, Amnesty International, the Global Alliance against Traffic in Women, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and the Women and Harm Reduction International Network) welcome the initiative to prepare a report on the decriminalisation of poverty and homelessness, to be presented at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council in June-July 2024. We also welcome the background paper shared by consultation.

In order to ensure that the report creates effective and consistent standards for the decriminalisation of poverty and homelessness, we strongly encourage the Special Rapporteurs to include in the conclusions section explicit recommendations for the decriminalisation of drug use and possession of personal use, and of sex work, as the criminalisation of both activities is a major driver of contact between law enforcement and people living in poverty in public spaces, is discriminatory, and has harmful effects on the enjoyment of a broad range of human rights. This informal paper provides a number of key arguments supporting that inclusion.

Decriminalising drug use and sex work to end the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness - Submission to the UNSRs on the right to adequate housing and on extreme poverty and human rights

The EVAWUD23 campaign brings together women who use drugs in all our diversity together with our allies around the world to address the gendered and violent impacts of punitive drug policy. Coinciding with the United Nations Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls 16 days of action (25 November to 10 December), EVAWUD participants are united by a shared determination to end violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs.

Women and gender diverse people who use drugs are subject to extreme rates and a wide range of violence due to patriarchal norms combined with punitive prohibition of some drugs. State-driven stigma, criminalisation, harmful gender norms, and corruption drive substantive health and safety harms and pose access barriers between women and gender diverse people who use drugs and critical harm reduction and gender-based violence services.

In 2023 there was an unprecedented record number of grant applications for the EVAWUD23 campaign as well as several organisations participating without small grant support. Summaries were documented, as below, on actions in Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Australia, Serbia, Greece, Italy, India, Kenya, Catalunya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Indonesia. Acknowledgements also to partnering organisations: YouthRISE, EuroNPUD and IDPC.

2023 EVAWUD campaign report - Elimination of violence against women who use drugs

, European Network of People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD)

, Women Harm Reduction International Network

International Network of People who Use Drugs

,European network of People who Use Drugs

This webinar was built on the recognition that narcofeminism calls for the participation of all women who use drugs. Women who use drugs have been addressing and presenting their concerns and recommendations to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which monitors this United Nations Convention on Human Rights. There are some examples around the world and this webinar describes a substantial part of them. Designed to explore a narcofeminist perspective on human rights, with the valuable collaboration of the Women Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) and the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD).

Narcofeminist Advocacy at CEDAW

The event was co-organized by WHRIN and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, with speakers from Harm Reduction International, LBH Masyarakat, and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network.



This event aims to shed light on the gendered impacts of the death penalty and the discrimination women sentenced to death for drug related offences experience. Despite increasing incarceration of women, and women disproportionately imprisoned for drug-related offences, the stories and experiences of women sentenced to death for drug offences are unheard. This discussion will discuss this in detail and outline steps forward to stop this form of femicide.



:
Ajeng Larasati, Human Rights Lead, Harm Reduction International
Aisya Humaida, LBH Masyarakat
Dobby Chew, Executive Coordinator, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network

The death penalty for women sentenced for drug trafficking: Gender discrimination and violence at the heart of proceedings

, WHRIN highlight their recent work on the topic of drug use and maturing. There is an overwhelming lack of research on drug use and maturing, and even less with a gender lens. We are happy to share with you a video highlighting some key points from women who use drugs on this topic. 

WHRIN has also previously developed a position statement 'Drug Use as We Mature' which can be accessed 

Drug use as we mature: Key points from women who use drugs

November 25 is the International Campaign for Elimination of Violence against Women which marks the beginning of 16 days of action through to December 10, International Human Rights Day.

WHRIN encourages interested organisations and groups worldwide to collaborate and organise actions to highlight the need to end violence against women who use drugs and improve drug policies for women from a human rights and harm reduction perspective. (For inspiration from past actions, see past reports 

To join our global campaign, please adapt/translate and print out the 

 and take photos while wearing something orange (to pick up on the international theme colour for eliminating violence against women) while ensuring your action brings particular attention to the situation of women and gender diverse people who use drugs.

In contexts where publication of identifying images could have negative repercussions, it is proposed that the poster is held in front of faces to protect identity, or that blur face options be offered. Those participating will agree to having the images used for campaign purposes targeting UN agencies, drug policy forums and via partner harm reduction, drug policy and feminist agencies. Campaign organisers will be responsible for coordinating informed consent (see example template 

By December 15th, please email your photos and brief description of activity (max 200 words) back to: ailish@whrin.site. 

The reports will be pooled, collated and re-propelled through relevant networks aiming to achieve a global level profile for the campaign.

You are encouraged to invite the media to hear and receive statements from your organisation/s. An optional 

 can be translated and adapted to context in your city, adding your own contact or logo etc. 

To register your EVAWUD planning and/or apply for a small grant, 

WHRIN is able to offer a limited number of small grants to support the 2023 campaign for elimination of violence against women who use drugs, 16 days of action (November 25-December 10).

Selections will be based on potential impact, meaningful involvement of women who use drugs, geographic diversity, scale, alignment with the WHRIN global campaign tools and extent of planned publicity. Encouraging multiple agency proposals, we have reserved the option to award larger grants to collaborating organisations or consortia.

WHRIN hopes engagement in this campaign will not hinge on being awarded a grant – and are excited to hear about and help document your actions.

Whether or not relying on a grant to participate, please do fill out and return your campaign plans so WHRIN can assist with promotion of your activity.

Please see and download the application form here

Applications due by Friday October 6th 2023.

Many thanks for your involvement and support!

*Those needing support with inserting poster translations and/or logos, please contact WHRIN’s administrator to forwhrinetwork@gmail.com*

International Campaign for the Elimination of Violence against Women who Use Drugs (EVAWUD) 2023

WHRIN have released this position statement on issues facing women and gender diverse people who use drugs as we mature, to coincide with Zero Discrimination Day March 1, which is a day for people to speak up about discrimination and movement for change. Events and initiatives focus on the rights of people living with HIV, the LGBTQ+ community, people who use drugs and more. Notably, the theme for 2023 is “Save lives: Decriminalise”, a critical reform imperative echoed in this statement. We add our voices to the cry, highlighting the needs of women and gender diverse people who use drugs as we mature.

Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN)

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