Bearing in mind the economic and social consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking,
Aware of the importance of the gender aspects and its impact on families, especially women and children,
Realizing that most families are supported and cared for by women and that women play a key role in teaching the young and ensuring that health care is provided,
Aware of women's multiple cumulative risk of an HIV infection through more risky sexual behaviour after drug abuse,
Noting
- that affected women can count on less support by their family of origin as men and that as mothers they are usually tainted with the stigma of having given birth to drug addicted babies,
- that they often are denied the right and the capacity of having children,
- that after drug consumption the inhibition threshold towards prostitution is lowered,
Aware of the dangers of drug related violence and crime,
Reiterating the danger of illicit drug trafficking and its related crimes for civil society,
THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN Urges its affiliated National Councils to call on their governments:
- to improve the situation of drug dependent women,
- to ensure appropriate legislation in the field of addiction and drug abuse,
- to raise awareness among all sectors of society for the consequences of drug abuse, especially its gender aspects, by organising seminars, expert-round-tables etc.,
- to provide women friendly measures of prevention and rehabilitation, care, counselling, (family-) therapy and where possible, centres for drug dependent women and children,
- to ensure that gender specific drug rehabilitation programmes are in place in prisons where women are committed for drug-related crimes,
- to increase health-consciousness of women and women victims of drug abuse,
- to enable and support women to build up or rebuild a small network of relationships,
- to help women addicts to develop perspectives concerning employment and work,
- to strengthen the role of women in their family,
- to develop and implement educational programmes for the prevention of drug abuse, giving special emphasis to the protection of children and young women.
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Source: International Council of Women (ICW-CIF) — 30th General Assembly, Perth, Western Australia, August 31 – September 5, 2003. Resolution No. 12.
