Community Localisation of Women Harm Reduction in Uganda: Policy, Practice, and Advocacy

On 27 February 2025, I participated as a speaker in a virtual dialogue on Community Localisation and Adaptation of Women Harm Reduction in Uganda. The session brought together practitioners, policymakers, and advocates to reflect on how harm reduction approaches can be better tailored to women’s lived realities.

The discussion emphasized the importance of community-led, culturally sensitive, and rights-based responses for women who use and inject drugs—particularly within restrictive legal and policy environments.

Understanding the policy and legal context

One of the key issues discussed was how existing laws—some of which have been nullified or are outdated—continue to be enforced in practice, often to the detriment of already marginalized communities.

During my contribution, I highlighted that law enforcement authorities sometimes continue to act under nullified or misapplied legal provisions, using their authority to make arrests and exploit communities of people who use and inject drugs. This disconnect between law and practice has serious consequences for women’s health, dignity, and access to justice.

Why policy reform and decriminalization matter

I emphasized that advancing women-centered harm reduction requires more than service delivery—it requires structural change.

Key priorities highlighted included:

• Advocating for policy reform that aligns with public health and human rights principles

• Decriminalization and harm reduction policies that prioritize women’s health, safety, and bodily autonomy

• Shifting from punitive approaches toward care-centered, evidence-based responses

Criminalization continues to push women further from essential services, increase vulnerability to violence, and reinforce cycles of stigma and exclusion.

The role of partnerships and community engagement

Effective harm reduction cannot exist in isolation. I stressed the importance of partnering with NGOs, community groups, and women-led organizations to expand outreach and ensure programs are grounded in lived experiences.

Community localisation means:

• Designing culturally sensitive interventions

• Learning from existing government programmes, while identifying ways to decentralize and adapt them

• Centering women as experts in shaping solutions that affect their lives

Collective voices for women’s harm reduction

The session featured contributions from a diverse panel of experts and practitioners, reflecting the strength of collective advocacy in advancing women harm reduction in Uganda. These multi-stakeholder conversations are critical for building aligned strategies across health, law, and social justice sectors.

Closing reflection

Women-centered harm reduction is both a public health priority and a human rights imperative. By localizing approaches, reforming harmful policies, and strengthening community partnerships, we can move toward systems that protect women’s health, dignity, and agency.

I remain committed to contributing to these conversations through legal advocacy, community engagement, and policy dialogue, ensuring that women most affected are not only protected—but heard.