Manila (Philippines), 27 June 2018 - In support of this year's World Drug Report theme 'Women, Young People and Older People', UNODC participated in several events that place emphasis on the specific risk and vulnerabilities of women who use drugs including within the drug control and criminal justice systems. The launch of the World Drug Report places a spotlight on these groups in relation to drug use, prevention and treatment.
According to the World Drug Report 2018, men are more likely than women to use cannabis, cocaine and opiates, whereas the non-medical use of opioids and tranquilizers is comparable and often actually higher among women. If access to drugs by men and women were equal, the likelihood of substance use would not differ between them. In developing community-based drug recovery programmes for the Philippines, Prof Regina Hechanova from Ateneo University made use of the modules within the UNODC Community-based Services Toolkit for People Who Use Drugs to build capacity for the services that they provide. Prof Hechanova notes, "we discovered there are no programmes for special groups, no programmes for women…and even programmes that are supposed to be outpatient rehab there is not a lot of evidence-based programmes that are being provided [for these groups]."
Addressing the barriers to treatment and prevention
Social and cultural norms play a huge role in not only limiting access to illicit drugs (which would be a positive element) but limiting access to healthcare for woman who use drugs. The levels of stigma and discrimination faced by women who use drugs jeopardises their health and those of the children they may care for. "Drug use prevention and treatment efforts need to be cognisant of these barriers to accessing health services in order to reach more women" stated Karen Peters, UNODC Associate Drugs and Health Officer, in her a presentation to drug use prevention practitioners from ASEAN during a Training organised by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the ASEAN Training Centre for Preventive Drug Education (ATCPDE) in Manila 25 - 29 June. In her opening address to the participants of the training, Asec. Ma. Belen Angelita V. Matibag, Deputy Executive Director for Operations, DDB reminded participants, "the cost of repairing the damages of drug abuse will diminish when we ensure that efforts on drug abuse prevention are reinforced. Indeed, prevention would stand as our most practical approach to addressing drug abuse".
A complex cycle of vulnerability
Drug use prevention is not merely about the addictive qualities of certain drugs. Sexual abuse and violence are a stronger risk factor for drug use among girls and women, likely due to the higher prevalence of these groups being victims of these crimes. UNODC (2016) Guidelines on Drug Prevention and Treatment for Girls and Women highlight that one out of every three girls and women are victims of violence. As reflected in the guidelines, the percentage of women in drug treatment facilities that were sexually abused as a child is high: 55% to 95%. Youth who misuse alcohol, marijuana, or drugs are at increased risk of becoming victim to these crimes, with girls that use substances at particularly elevated risk of sexual assault. The UNODC Listen First campaign encourages parents to play an active role in their children's lives as the first step to help them grow healthy and safe. This campaign is based on the understanding that those who use drugs are often affected by vulnerabilities beyond their control.
Women in prison should also not be left behind in efforts to offer comprehensive gender responsive services. Women in prison face specific challenges with greater depth in difficulty due to their incarceration. Prison statistics show that a higher percentage of women than of men are in prison for drug offences. The gender disparity has been attributed to the greater ease with which low-level crimes can be prosecuted. Research also suggested that more serious offenders, mainly male, escape imprisonment or have their sentences reduced by entering plea-bargaining deals and providing assistance to the prosecution, which women are usually unable to provide.
"Offering health and support services to women in prison is really a no-brainer. Female in-mates must have access to female-friendly quality health services in prison. Considering that many of them are there for low-level drug related offences also means our justice systems need to seriously consider alternatives to incarceration, especially when the benefit of keeping women out of prison far outweighs locking them up", Olivier Lermet, UNODC Senior Policy Advisor. To assist member states in addressing the specific vulnerability of women and girls within the drug control and criminal justice systems UNODC has a range of guidelines and tools focussing both in the community and in confined settings.
