MANAS advocates for a national strategy with innovative drug policies

MANAS - Mutual support group for women survivors of multiple violence, and GAT IN Mouraria, GAT's community-based center aimed at the population who uses drugs, organized the conference “We, Women Who Use Drugs, Exist!”, included in the #UNITE international campaign for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The purpose of bringing women who use drugs to the center of academic, political and community discussion was fulfilled.

Around 90 people supported MANAS' demands at the conference that took place at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, in a room full of diversity, including experts, women who use drugs, trans women, racialized women and homeless women were present at the debate.

The women who use drugs present reported the multiple forms of violence they suffer, including violence in the health care system, institutional violence and gender-based violence.

“We advocate for safer spaces for women who use drugs, included in a national strategy for drug consumption rooms, shelters where women who use drugs are welcome, safer spaces for trans people to access hormone therapy and ensure respect for child custody” says Joana Canêdo, GAT volunteer and druf policies activist.

Three months after the end of Lisbon City Council's funding for the Intendente Insurgente project, which brought together As Insurgentes Revoltadas - Associação and MANAS from GAT to empower women in situations of multiple vulnerabilities who live or work in Anjos, the lack of funding was one of the main barriers highlighted for the implementation of innovative drug policies from the community.

Experts and the community have recognized the multiple vulnerabilities of women who use drugs, as well as the need to support active political participation by ensuring a shift from dominant thinking of invisibility to funded participation of women who use drugs.

“assistencialism by itself do not fit us anymore, and peer-led responses should be at the heart of community-led answers to these multiple vulnerabilities”, claims Joana Canêdo who also advocates: “Women who uses drugs are not passive subjects of politics and action plans but are also part of the answer.”

The event was attended by the Division of Intervention on Addictive Behaviors and Addictions (DICAD), the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (EMCDDA), the European Network of People Who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD), the Social Security Institute, Kosmicare, Vozes de Dentro, Intendente Insurgente, Consulta Divergente, Alcoholology Unit (UAL) and the services GAT Intendente and GAT Peer to Peer. Rosário Costa, who spoke at the European Parliament about sex work, presented the solutions that GAT IN Mouraria has been implementing in response to the demands of women who use drugs.