The gender-sensitive drug policies respond to the needs and interests of women, men and gender-non-conforming people in their structures, programs and work, removing barriers to access and adherence to drug services and increasing the efficacy of drug policies.

The European Union is a strong advocate for gender-sensitive drug policies at the international level. It is a referent and a prominent actor in this regard.

The Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD), the expert committee of the European Commission in the field of drugs, has identified the enhancement of a gender perspective in EU drug policy as one of the emerging issues of drug policies. In its ambition to contribute to EU policymaking, the CSFD analysed the current EU Drug Strategy and Plan of Action to identify ways in which to strengthen a gender perspective.

The aim of this analysis is to suggest means to further strengthen the gender dimension at EU level in a way that can be used as a reference for the elaboration of EU national strategies. It could also have a significant impact as a reference for non-EU member states.