Punitive drug policies disproportionately impact women, and drug use and drug offences are a significant contributor to the incarceration of women around the world. In fact, a higher proportion of women than men are imprisoned for drug-related offences.

Harm Reduction International worked with the South African Network of People who use Drugs (SANPUD) and Metzineres to conceptualise and develop this briefing.

This briefing draws on focus group discussions and interviews held with women in Durban, South Africa and Barcelona, Spain, and seeks to paint a picture of the barriers women face when accessing harm reduction services in prisons.