With succession planning recently reaching fruition and leadership transitioning now under way, we take pause to reflect on the experiences of the network to date. WHRIN was founded in 2007 following a survey among 20 prominent women in drug user organising and harm reduction around the world and officially established in 2009. It was observed that most people who use drugs networks and harm reduction NGOs at the time were male dominated– with little to indicate awareness of the need for programming to meet the needs of those who identify as women. Survey results affirmed these
critical shortcomings and also called attention to research gaps, a lack of a relevant data pooling point, and concerns regarding active sexism and exclusion in some organisations and networks.
Analysing all inputs, the structure of WHRIN aimed from the outset to actualise the principle of pragmatism that propels harm reduction – by including all those who support WHRIN objectives. Rather than limiting membership to women who use drugs alone, veto powers in governance structures together with prioritisation of activity demonstrating leadership and meaningful involvement from community, together with a bias towards engagement in global south countries, are key underpinnings in WHRIN operations. Other network members necessarily include harm reduction practitioners, donors, gender specialists and others of any gender provided they support network goals. In adopting such a structure, it was also hoped that WHRIN might serve as a ‘bridging’ organisation between people who use
drugs networks and other harm reduction and drug policy agencies – with concern that division can threaten expeditious achievement of common goals towards developing gender responsive, community led harm reduction services and sensible drug policy.
The initial years were hard graft with no funding yet regular, significant and sustained activity. Despite countless proposal submissions, the donor community evidently lacked recognition of and/or appetite for involvement of women who use drugs in gender sensitive policy and service development. Registered in Indonesia, today WHRIN occupies a unique position in the harm reduction world. Focused specifically on women, gender diverse people and drug use, it is a highly inclusive network that proactively incorporates and engages a broad range of stakeholders. WHRIN seeks to build linkages among women who use drugs, non-government organisations, feminist organisations, service providers, national governments, relevant UN organisations anddevelopment partners – in order to achieve the mission of expanding availability and accessibility of gender-responsive harm reduction services. While donor appetite remains sub-optimal, WHRIN is grateful to have been funded since 2018 as part of the harm reduction consortium with the Robert Carr Fund, with a history of additional support from Frontline AIDS, ViiV, GFATM and the Elton John Foundation.
An allies meeting at the International Harm Reduction Conference earlier this year (2023) found a ommon theme – that drug use is used as a reason to deny or limit the rights of women and gender diverse people who use drugs. This includes rights to justice, protection from violence, housing/shelter, drug treatment (OAT), health care and other services, support during pregnancy and childbirth, and custody of children. Other notable themes were the patriarchal and sexist nature of harm reduction services and that so few services are gender sensitive or available. Increasing rates of arrests and incarceration are also of great concern across most jurisdictions.
WHRIN was seen as a useful partner in dealing with these matters. The network is providing a platform, advocacy and a source of information, partnerships and strength. Some key achievements, holding true to our values of meaningful community involvement and intersectional feminism, include fiscal independence and registration of the network with 3 years of organisational audit reporting; an ever expanding worldwide allies base; partnerships with NGOs in Indonesia, Portugal, Ukraine and Philippines to create and present shadow reports on the situation of women who use drugs to the Committee for Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; attaining membership on the Strategic Coordination Group for inputs to the United Nations on drugs and HIV; collaborations with UN Women; the creation of a good practices series on gender sensitive harm reduction programming; ongoing global mapping of gender responsive harm reduction services promoted in several languages; development and rollout (10 countries so far) of a toolkit on integrating sexual and reproductive health services for women and gender diverse people; development and testing of a shelters toolkit designed to assist shelter providers to open their doors to women who use drugs; a large suite of advocacy position papers addressing core issues of network relevance; establishment of a strategic advisory body with representatives from all regions of the world with monthly meetings; and two annual small grants programmes which feature community engagement enacted in an ever widening number of countries.
While achievements and utility have been substantial, the network must redouble efforts to attain strategic objectives. WHRIN will continue to develop new partnerships and strengthen existing ones to maintain and build effective alliances with organisations of women and gender diverse people who use drugs, the women’s movement, sex worker organisations, gender diverse networks and other agencies with aspirations that overlap with those of WHRIN. This also means ongoing fundraising efforts to expand the secretariat base, small grants funds and network activity budget. WHRIN experience to date has proved both the need for such a network and the need to further expand reach and impact. Neither is possible without the tireless efforts of the secretariat, Board and advisory body as well as engagement with WHRIN allies, particularly those who have a history of drug use. WHRIN remains as strong as the sum of its ally base and look forward to taking great leaps ahead together.
