Busaosowo Foundation leads critical dialogue on gender-sensitive approach to drug use crisis in Enugu

The Busaosowo Foundation, through its Women and Drugs Program (WAD), held a town-hall meeting this Saturday in Ndiagu Amechi community of Enugu State on addressing the gender impact of drug abuse in the state.

The Women and Drugs Program comes at a time when over 3.43 million Nigerian women are grappling with drug addiction, representing one in every four drug users in the country. Yet, women remain underrepresented or invisible in national conversations and treatment frameworks designed primarily for men.

Addressing stakeholders at the event, Onyinyechukwu Obi, the Women and Drugs Program Coordinator, stated that:
“We can no longer afford to look away.” “Behind these statistics are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives who are suffering in silence because of stigma, lack of appropriate care, and policies that simply weren’t designed with their unique needs in mind.”

Recent findings reveal that women experience what experts call “telescoping,” a rapid progression from first drug use to full addiction that occurs much faster than in men. This accelerated trajectory, combined with biological factors and social vulnerabilities, means women and young girls face more severe health consequences at lower doses and over shorter periods.

Also speaking at the town hall was Busaosowo Bisong, Executive Director of Busaosowo Foundation, who observed that although drug abuse affects everyone differently, the impact is usually more complicated and dangerous for women.

He stated that: “When we look specifically at our women and girls, the drug story is often one of silent self-medication. The most common substances are not necessarily those found on our streets, but over-the-counter medications like tramadol, codeine syrup, and diazepam, easily found in pharmacies. They are used to numb psychological pain, trauma, and unrelenting stress. This pattern tells us that our response must first address the root causes of pain in women’sllives.”.

The town-hall meeting brought together community leaders, youths, and religious leaders to chart a new path forward, one that recognizes the specific biological, psychological, and social realities that women face.

The Women and Drugs Program is Busaosowo Foundation’s flagship intervention to address the growing popularity of substance use amongst women in urban and rural communities. Through this project, Busaosowo Foundation seeks to strengthen community and social support systems for women and girls at risk of drug abuse and advocate for inclusive drug use prevention policies that protect women and young girls.

Busaosowo Foundation believes that every woman deserves to be healthy and drug-free.