Women, poverty & the failure of the CNSA – Policy brief

Women, Poverty, and the Failure of the CNSA examines the gendered impact of Pakistan’s drug laws and the structural vulnerabilities that shape women’s pathways into drug-related offences. Drawing on prison data, legal analysis, and first-hand testimonies from women incarcerated under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997, the brief highlights how punitive and gender-neutral laws disproportionately affect women facing poverty, coercion, caregiving responsibilities, and limited access to legal representation.

The brief is part of Justice Project Pakistan’s broader initiative to advance human rights-based drug policy reform in Pakistan and calls for a more proportionate, gender-responsive, and rights-based approach to drug policy.