Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society

Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society

Lawyering in the streets of Eastern Europe & Central Asia

(street lawyers project/women’s campaign)

International AIDS conference, Melbourne, Australia25 July, 2014


No global estimates on how many women use drugs worldwide – hence no data from Eurasia

region

However some estimates exist in some countries

• Estonia 9% Georgia 10%• Kyrgyzstan 10% Russian Federation 30%• Ukraine 26%

Common problems across the region:

- Lack of women specific treatment programmes- Ignorance of sexual and reproductive health rights- Removal of parental rights – disproportionally- Higher levels of stigma and discrimination- Violence – both state (police) and interpersonal

(domestic)- No access to shelters



Year 1 - Breaking the Silence.

• Raising awareness of law enforcement on violence against women who use drugs

• Mobilizing women who use drugs and building their capacity to document and communicate police violence


Year 2 - the Year of Dialogue

- Building a dialogue between women who use drugs, decision makers and other stakeholders

- Coming up with an effective solutions in combating police violence against women who use drugs


Year 3 - Monitoring and Accountability

Monitoring implementation of police and other governmental stakeholders’ commitments

(undertaken in the year 2) to combat violence against women who use drugs



Street lawyers project allows women who use drugs to position themselves

as human rights defenders in their respective communities


EHRN activities for street lawyers:

- Online trainings – WEBINARs – on human rights regional and country specific- Enabling them to document and litigate human

rights violations - Women’s engagement with international agencies- Study tours- Small grants schemes


Immediate effect of street lawyers programme:

- Reaching out more and more women and men who use drugs

- Directly helping people to protect their and others’ human rights

- Standing up against stigma, violence and abuses- Counterbalancing repressive policies


EHRN is the sole regional organisation that focuses on

documenting abuses and violence against women who use drugs


Successful international advocacy story: 23 July 2014

The UN CEDAW Committee issues specific recommendations against Georgia on harm reduction services for women who use drugs in society and in

detention including for pregnant women


Acknowledgements:

Olga Polagniuk –producer of the videoOlga Byelyayeva – EHRN Erika Matuizaite – EHRNDasha Ocheret - EHRNWomen who use drugs – street lawyers


Thank you!

Eka [email protected]

Twitter: @Eka_iawww.harm-reduction.org


Documents

Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society