Day 2, 11:00 - 12.30, ISSUP, Official Launch of the Global Women’s Network for Treatment and Recovery

Presented at Thessaloniki 2024 - Panel: Official Launch of the Global Women´s Network for Treatment and Recovery, on the 27th of June, 2024.

Moderator: Ms. Sarah Fynmore (⚑ United States) , Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Description:

Women around the world who use drugs face challenges that increase their vulnerability to gender-based violence, economic discrimination, human rights violations, physical and mental comorbidities, high rates of incarceration, and intense stigma and discrimination from many spheres of society. Such issues act as significant barriers to treatment and encourage the continued victimization of women who use drugs.

Traditionally, more men than women use drugs. Yet, now the numbers of females who use drugs continue to expand, it is important to understand gender-specific etiological factors, phenomenology, course and outcome, and to implement effective prevention, treatment, recovery and social re-integration strategies on a national and international level. Governments, international organizations, and civil society have a plethora of initiatives oriented towards strengthening the drug use prevention, treatment, and recovery support workforce. To leverage gains already achieved, it is critical to establish and strengthen systemic mechanisms to improve implementation of these interventions specifically for women.

An essential step in doing so is the development of a Global Women’s Network for Treatment and Recovery to build and support the workforce while concurrently improving treatment access, quality and outcomes of women served.

This sub-plenary session will include presentations from the African Union, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Colombo Plan, UNODC, and the World Federation Against Drugs regarding the state of women in different regions around the world. The common challenges, successes and opportunities for change will be summarized. Next, the vision for the Global Women’s Network for Treatment and Recovery will be set forth: to provide a global empowering and educational platform for the treatment and recovery workforce at residential/hospital and community treatment centers, and to create a support network that ensures that all women who need access to high-quality substance use disorder treatment can receive life-changing care.

Speakers:

Hendrée Jones - University of North Carolina

Abel Basutu - African Union Comission

Oranooch Sungkhawanna - Colombo Plan

Jimena Kalawski - Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)

Anja Busse - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Amy Ronshausen - World Federation Against Drugs

Joanna Travis-Roberts - International Society of Substance Use (ISSUP)