Lex Initiative Joins the Call to Decriminalise Drug Use and Protect Harm Reduction for Marginalised Women

On June 27, 2025, Lex Initiative proudly joined activists, advocates, and community members at the 3rd Edition of the Nigerian Drug User Community Dialogue, held virtually to commemorate the global Support. Don’t Punish Day of Action.

Hosted by the Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network (DHRAN), this year’s theme “Decriminalize – To Protect the Gains of Harm Reduction Amidst Dwindling Donor Funding” highlighted the urgent need to prioritise human rights, health, and care over criminalisation and stigma.

Speaking during the Dialogue, our Executive Director, Augusta Yaakugh-Shahin, shared Lex Initiative’s deep commitment to advancing justice for marginalised women who use drugs, a group often ignored in policy conversations but disproportionately affected by punitive drug laws.

“Harm reduction is a justice issue, and we cannot talk about justice without centring the experiences of women, especially poor, queer, and gender-diverse women, who use drugs and face daily threats to their freedom, dignity, and safety. At Lex Initiative, we are committed to walking alongside them.”

Our Commitments

In alignment with our mission to promote feminist legal empowerment, Lex Initiative is taking action to support marginalised women who use drugs in Nigeria through the following commitments:

  • Legal Literacy and Rights Awareness: We will offer tailored Know-Your-Rights sessions for women who use drugs, focusing on arrest procedures, discrimination, and access to legal aid.
  • Support for Survivors: We will work with partners to document cases of abuse, extortion, and sexual violence against women who use drugs, especially during arrest or detention, and provide legal support and referrals.
  • Feminist Advocacy Campaigns: We will co-create campaigns that challenge harmful narratives, amplify the lived realities of women drug users, and advocate for inclusive drug policies.
  • Leadership and Legal Empowerment: We aim to build the legal and advocacy capacity of women who use drugs, training them as peer educators, paralegals, or community organisers within their networks.
  • Solidarity and Resource Support: We will collaborate with DHRAN to mobilise resources, co-develop proposals, and link grassroots women-led harm reduction efforts to feminist and human rights funding spaces.

Why This Matters

In Nigeria, women who use drugs face unique layers of marginalisation, from gender-based violence to the loss of child custody, social exclusion, and criminal charges without due process. Many are denied access to justice simply because they are poor, stigmatised, or afraid to speak out.

At Lex Initiative, we believe that these women deserve more than punishment, they deserve protection, power, and pathways to justice.

Join Us in This Journey

We call on feminist allies, harm reduction networks, donors, and legal professionals to join us in standing with marginalised women who use drugs. If you’re interested in partnership or learning more about our work, email us at info@liradnigeria.org.

Justice begins when we choose to care. And we care deeply.