Improving health and protecting human rights 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, Australia 25 July, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

Improving health and protecting human rights Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society Street lawyers project allows women who use drugs to position themselves as human rights defenders in their respective communities

Improving health and protecting human rights Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society EHRN activities for street lawyers: - Online trainings – WEBINARs – on human rights regional and country specific -Enabling them to d ocument and litigate human rights violations -Women’s engagement with international agencies -Study tours -Small grants schemes

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

Improving health and protecting human rights Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society EHRN is the sole regional organisation that focuses on documenting abuses and violence against women who use drugs

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

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

Acknowledgements: Olga Polagniuk –producer of the video Olga Byelyayeva – EHRN Erika Matuizaite – EHRN Dasha Ocheret - EHRN Women who use drugs – street lawyers Improving health and protecting human rights Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society

Thank you! Eka Iakobishvili Improving health and protecting human rights Improving health and protecting human rights for individuals, communities, and society