Luca Stevenson is a sex worker and sex workers’ rights activist with 20 years experience in community-building, policy and advocacy for sex workers and marginalised communities. He is the new Global Lead on Community Engagement and Partnerships at IPPF.

This presentation showcases the transformative work of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and its Member Associations (MAs)In Africa and Asia in enhancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and people who use drugs. Grounded in feminist principles, these initiatives focus on empowering women and youth, promoting gender equity, and integrating harm reduction with SRHR services to address the specific vulnerabilities of WUD.

Key projects include:
The Regional Network of Women who Use Drugs (South Asia Region): This initiative advocates for safe sex practices, bodily autonomy, and access to harm reduction and reproductive rights for women who use drugs. Through awareness, capacity building, and strategic advocacy, the collective aims to dismantle outdated cultural norms and empower women to embrace their rights and well-being.

Beats Beyond Recovery, Liberia (Community Healthcare Initiative): A youth-centric project that merges harm reduction strategies with music therapy, providing a supportive framework that integrates SRHR services for young PWUD.

Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone: This association trains leaders from key populations, including people who inject drugs, to increase awareness of mental health, reduce substance use initiation rates, and improve coping skills. The initiative also provides short-term family planning commodities, psycho-social support, and counselling.

FPA Sri Lanka & Mithuru Mithuro Movement: Collaborating with Community-Based Organizations in Colombo and Gampaha, this project supports harm reduction services and links injecting drug users to necessary resources.

PKBI, SPINN, and Partners (Indonesia): In Indonesia, women and transwomen who use drugs face barriers to accessing SRHR services due to stigma and discrimination. This initiative, based on an assessment of 109 WUD recommends improving the accessibility and quality of inclusive SRH services to better meet their needs.

These projects collectively illustrate IPPF’s commitment to advancing SRHR for women who use drugs through a feminist and harm reduction lens.