On 19-20 June 2018, the Ministry of Interior co-organised the 3rd COPOLAD II Annual Conference ‘Women and drug policy. Progress and challenges in the implementation of the gender approach and the empowerment of women as a cross-cutting matter’. The event was part of the calendar of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The delegates reviewed the progress made in the recognition of the need to incorporate the gender approach across all areas of drug policies. They outlined that the programmes and initiatives undertaken in the last five years are reflecting the progress in this area. However, the specificities of drug-related problems between women and men need further exploration in view of the effectiveness of the responses.

Appreciating the opportunity that the conference gives to consider the problems of women empowerment from different angles, the participants stressed the importance of including the gender perspective in the full range of drug policy areas like prevention, treatment, harm reduction, rehabilitation, social and work insertion, as well as supply control.

The discussions during the event were also focused on the aspects that are most important when implementing evidence-based drug policies and programmes. The general opinion shared by the participants emphasized the need of more research into the different ways women are involved with drugs and the harms they suffer in view of incorporating in programming the gender-related vulnerabilities, such as stigma and discrimination, as they represent important factors affecting their lives.

Background

COPOLAD II is an EU funded cooperation programme between the European Union and The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) with important developments, achievements and serious impact over the global drug policy. It is currently in its second phase. The first phase (2011-2015) included the Latin American countries; 15 Caribbean countries have joined the programme in this second phase (2016-2019). COPOLAD is led by Spain through the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP).

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