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

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.