In Myanmar women who use/inject drugs have a higher risk of blood borne virus transmission, higher mortality rates and experience additional layers of stigma and discrimination compared with men who inject drugs. Most women who use drugs (WUD) in Myanmar have difficulty in accessing harm reduction services because of being ‘shamed and blamed’ due to their status as ‘deviant’ drug users and ‘bad women’. WUD experience physical and emotional abuse from a range of people from their communities including relatives, husbands, men who use drugs, police and some local anti-drug civil society organizations.
Before peer groups were established, informal social WUD networks shared news and information amongst themselves. Some members of these networks raised their experiences and perceptions about barriers to accessing services with different health service provider organizations. In September 2018, with the support of members of the WUD community, MdM formed the Women’s Advisory Group (WAG) to address the needs of WUD.
It has become increasingly clear that WUD have a central role to play in advancing community empowerment and community-led interventions to enhance the quality of services and build the sustainability of HIV programmes. Considering the importance of increasing coverage and enhancing the quality of harm reduction services for WUD and the sexual partners of men who use drugs, MdM adopted the strategy of providing gender specific services. A key component of this strategy was the formation of the WAG. MdM not only facilitated the formation of the WAG but importantly continues to support the WAG to work more efficiently for the community and with the community.
