Gender

News15 October 2026

Civil society statement opposing the regressive bill proposing mandatory sterilisation of homeless women who use drugs in Bolivia

IDPC joins civil society in denouncing a Bolivian bill proposing forced sterilisation of marginalised women who use drugs, calling instead for decriminalisation and voluntary, gender-responsive harm reduction services.

Publications12 October 2026

From personal use to drug trafficking offences in chemsex contexts: drug quantity thresholds established in INTCF reports

García Cortina and Azorín Ortega question the basis of quantity thresholds used in Spain to distinguish between possession and trafficking, highlighting implications for people engaging in chemsex and calling for greater transparency and safeguards.

Events

End violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs (EVAWUD26)

World

25 November 2026 - 10 December 2026

The Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) calls for global action to end violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs, promoting gender-responsive harm reduction, human rights and an end to punitive drug policies.

News12 October 2026

OrientaDonna & OrientaQueer – Turin, Italy

Peer-led, gender-responsive harm reduction in Turin, Italy, creates safer, stigma-free spaces for women and LGBTQI+ people who use drugs, integrating healthcare, reproductive rights and emotional support while centring autonomy, dignity and self-determination.

Publications24 September 2026

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

Justice Project Pakistan's brief shows how Pakistan's punitive drug control system places women at greater risk of criminalisation, particularly those facing structural, social and economic barriers, and calls for gender-responsive legislation that upholds their rights.

News23 September 2026

How Bolivia's drug laws enable sexual torture

In Bolivia, out of 21 emblematic cases of sexual torture against women in police custody, 9 were linked to the enforcement of national drug laws.

News21 September 2026

UN must act on the disproportionate impact of drug policies on women — Civil society statement at HRC63

IDPC, formerly incarcerated women and civil society partners call for drug policies rooted in care rather than punishment, with women with lived experience at the centre of policymaking and greater action to address gender and structural inequalities.

Publications17 September 2026

Human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem, in particular on the impact of drug policies on the rights of women and girls

The OHCHR highlights how punitive approaches expose women and girls to disproportionate incarceration, violence, discrimination and barriers to services, and urges states to adopt a rights-based and gender-responsive perspective, including decriminalisation and responsible regulation.

Publications10 September 2026

'Global Solidarity, Don't Punish' — Report on the 2026 Support. Don't Punish Global Day of Action, with a focus on women and gender expansive people who use drugs

WHRIN documents 19 actions led by women and gender expansive people who use drugs across 16 countries, with this year's campaign marked by country-level coordination and consortium collaborations that increased the reach of collective action.

Events

63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council

Geneva, Switzerland

7 September 2026 - 7 October 2026

The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council provides an important forum for advancing human rights worldwide, including in relation to drug policies and their impacts on affected communities.

News20 July 2026

Meet the 2026 Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award winners

INHSU announces Yarelix Estrada and Rita Musa as the recipients of an award supporting emerging women leaders who advance harm reduction and the rights and health of people who use drugs.

Publications6 July 2026

Extra punishment: Violence against women in the fight against organised crime

The Working Group on Women and Incarceration in Latin America analyses how the fight against organised crime affects women in contact with prison systems, as well as their families and children.

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