Indonesian women who use drugs, living with HIV for 24 years. Baby Aya has demonstrated commitment to promote human rights, gender equality and womxn’s who use drugs empowerment through intersectionality approach in community.

Background
Womxn who use drugs (used the word ‘womxn’ by mean to all women in all their diversities) face multiple challenges, including stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence and limited access to essential services including SRH. The primary reasons for these challenges are structural barriers like punitive drug policies, as well as the absence of harm reduction services.

Description
Amongst SPINN priorities is the goal to prevent and address the risks of violence faced by womxn who use drugs, and subsequently established a shelter to promote womxn’s equality and often have a role in speaking out on systemic issues of discrimination, alongside provision of legal, social and health services. As a preliminary step, a situational and needs assessment is being conducted among the 99 prospective beneficiaries from the 3-month project (May-July 2024) in collaboration with IPPA as the member association of IPPF in Indonesia.

Lessons learnt
The data collection methodology involved online surveys and focus group discussions (FGD). The total of 99 respondents included women and trans women who use drugs, and 10 selected among them participated in FGD. Only 8% of women and 3% of trans women respondents reported regularly accessing SRH services. Among the 15 respondents who are housewife’s; 7 have not accessed SRH services in the past year, and 3 of them do not have health insurance coverage. The option of mobile clinics is a popular alternative among respondents.

Conclusions/next steps
As we strive for an inclusive harm reduction and drug policy reform, integrate the rights and gender mainstreaming through feminist lens approach. That means listening to and meaningful involvement of all women, in all their diversities in the initiatives which is focused on SRH services will improve the knowledge and awareness to increase access to SRH education, counselling, and services for womxn who use drugs.