Despite a significant number of women who use drugs, in St. Petersburg there have been no qualitative studies aimed at examining violations of the rights of women who use drugs. It should also be noted that currently in Russia there are no state-funded harm reduction programs and opioid agonist therapy.
A legal analysis of human rights violations against women who use drugs in Russia was made on the basis of 26 interviews conducted in St. Petersburg in 2018 with women who use drugs, many of whom are HIV-positive.
The main analysis topics include:
- the interaction of women with law enforcement agencies (including the issue of qualified legal assistance);
- the provision of narcological assistance to women during pregnancy and childbirth (including if they are in prison);
- the stigmatization of women by the guardianship authorities in connection with drug use or the diagnosis of addiction; gaps in the legislation;
- the impact of work discrimination on women’s lives and health.
The analysis is available in Russian.