Women and drugs
Gender equality at the heart of drug policies
Drugs produce specific vulnerabilities in women. Women who are poor, migrant or sexually diverse suffer multiple stigmatisation and discrimination. In the trafficking link, the perverse link between trafficking and drug trafficking, as well as disproportionate sentences for minor drug offences, are phenomena that particularly affect women.
COPOLAD III incorporates a comprehensive and intersectional gender approach to strengthen different public policy instruments to improve the situation of women affected by drugs.
Results
Raising visibility of the gender dimension within the drug problem
Gender-sensitive drug supply reduction strategies
- Exchange of experiences between professionals from public institutions on the incorporation of the gender approach in prevention and harm reduction services.
- Regional guide for the social inclusion of people who use drugs with an intersectional gender approach.
- Guide of good practices of community intervention, linked to drugs and vulnerable territories in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union.
- Adaptation to the Latin American and Caribbean context of the European Guide on Health and Social Responses to Drug Use Problems (2017).
- Policy paper on ‘Women, drugs and stigma’ to position this issue on the regional agenda and facilitate its approach at the national level.
- Strengthening the intersectional approach in the harm reduction strategy in Colombia, based on the analysis in 5 territories: Medellín, San José de Cúcuta, Pereira, Dosquebradas and Armenia.
- 2 social innovation laboratories (Chile and Colombia) with a gender focus aimed at improving access and social inclusion in prevention and harm reduction services.
- Guide for addressing consumption in populations of sexual diversity and 1 associated toolbox for socio-health care centres in Mexico.
- 1 diagnosis of the problem of discrimination suffered by women involved in drug trafficking who are conditioned or subjected to trafficking circuits.
- ‘Pact for the humanisation of criminal and penitentiary policy in Ibero-America’ to optimise the efforts of Latin America and the Caribbean to advance towards more humane and inclusive justice systems.
- ‘Regional Protocol for Specialised Defence for Women’ in conflict with the law for the commission of drug offences.
- 1 ‘Protocol for Comprehensive Care for Women in Conflict with the Criminal Law’ in Costa Rica to address the specific vulnerabilities faced by women from a comprehensive response and restorative justice approach.
- 1 digital training on gender approach in Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (DAIS) projects.
- 1 guide on Gender Inclusion in Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (DAIS) projects.
Generating knowledge from a gender perspective
- Update of the Report ‘Women and Drug Policies: Situation in LAC, advances and priorities’.
- 2 methodological guides to incorporate the gender and rights approach in information systems and research on drugs.
- 7 National Drug Observatories (NDOs) strengthen the gender approach through research protocols, improvement of questionnaires and revision of sex-gender categories for the recording and analysis of data.
Results
Generating knowledge from a gender perspective
- Update of the Report ‘Women and Drug Policies: Situation in LAC, advances and priorities’.
- 2 methodological guides to incorporate the gender and rights approach in information systems and research on drugs.
- 7 National Drug Observatories (NDOs) strengthen the gender approach through research protocols, improvement of questionnaires and revision of sex-gender categories for the recording and analysis of data.
Raising visibility of the gender dimension within the drug problem
- Exchange of experiences between professionals from public institutions on the incorporation of the gender approach in prevention and harm reduction services.
- Regional guide for the social inclusion of people who use drugs with an intersectional gender approach.
- Guide of good practices of community intervention, linked to drugs and vulnerable territories in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union.
- Adaptation to the Latin American and Caribbean context of the European Guide on Health and Social Responses to Drug Use Problems (2017).
- Policy paper on ‘Women, drugs and stigma’ to position this issue on the regional agenda and facilitate its approach at the national level.
- Strengthening the intersectional approach in the harm reduction strategy in Colombia, based on the analysis in 5 territories: Medellín, San José de Cúcuta, Pereira, Dosquebradas and Armenia.
- 2 social innovation laboratories (Chile and Colombia) with a gender focus aimed at improving access and social inclusion in prevention and harm reduction services.
- Guide for addressing consumption in populations of sexual diversity and 1 associated toolbox for socio-health care centres in Mexico.
Gender-sensitive drug supply reduction strategies
- 1 diagnosis of the problem of discrimination suffered by women involved in drug trafficking who are conditioned or subjected to trafficking circuits.
- ‘Pact for the humanisation of criminal and penitentiary policy in Ibero-America’ to optimise the efforts of Latin America and the Caribbean to advance towards more humane and inclusive justice systems.
- ‘Regional Protocol for Specialised Defence for Women’ in conflict with the law for the commission of drug offences.
- 1 ‘Protocol for Comprehensive Care for Women in Conflict with the Criminal Law’ in Costa Rica to address the specific vulnerabilities faced by women from a comprehensive response and restorative justice approach.
- 1 digital training on gender approach in Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (DAIS) projects.
- 1 guide on Gender Inclusion in Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (DAIS) projects.
¿Cómo trabajamos?
Esquema regional
Conformación de tres grupos de trabajo con 28 países para generar reflexión a través de seminarios, guías conceptuales y metodológicas e intercambio de experiencias.Articulación con el Observatorio Interamericano de Drogas (OID) de la Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas (CICAD-OEA).
Aterrizaje multipaís y nacional
Lanzamiento de 22 acciones nacionales de fortalecimiento de OND con metas previstas y rutas de acompañamiento
Communication
Implementing partners
