“The achievement of full human potential & of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities.”*
Gender equality and women empowerment are key to achieving sustainable development, peace, and justice. Any assessment of progress towards gender equality requires an understanding of the current context. While the problem of drug use is a global problem, drug use among women is often neglected as a public health issue.
The UNODC World Drug Report 2022 highlights trends on drug use among women and youth. The report documents that 284 million people aged 15-64 use drugs worldwide, a 26 per cent increase over the previous decade. The increase in women rate of drug consumption and drug use disorders is evident even more rapidly than men, with almost 1 in 2 users of amphetamine-type stimulants is a woman. Women who inject drugs are also 1.2 times more likely than men to be living with HIV and to be exposed to higher risk for sexual transmission of infections.
Despite this, the treatment gap remains large with women constituting only one in five people seeking treatment, globally. Several factors are responsible to this gap including the stigma associated with drug use problems especially for women. Other factors as gender-based violence, social and economic inequality impede women access to healthcare and other services. Consequently, more resources are needed to address this gap.
“The Rapid Situation Assessment of Women who use Drugs in Egypt” is the first study of its kind bringing together a review of current evidence-based practices in the field and offer practical guidance for clinicians, policymakers, and service providers working to address the complex needs of women who use drugs. It highlights the importance of a gender-responsive approach that considers women’s specific needs and experiences and provides concrete recommendations for integrating gender considerations into drug treatment and prevention efforts. It responds to an existing gap while carrying the potential of help for women who need and seek treatment for drug use.
This study is the result of the joint work of Professor Marie-Claire Van Hout at Liverpool John Moore’s University, and the team of national consultants, including Dr. Heba Elsayed at the National AIDS Program, Dr. Raghda Elgamil at the Addiction Department of the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, and Professor Menan A. Rabie at the Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt, and the UNODC team under leadership of Tariq Sonnan. I would like to thank all contributors to the study for their foresight and contribution in addressing and underlining an important public health aspect which often goes unnoticed and neglected. Its recommendations will pave the way for providing public health services for all in equality.
