28 October 2025
The International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and INHSU have released a new report exploring the powerful impact of the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award.
Titled “What Happens When You Invest in Women Who Use Drugs? Learnings from the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award,” the report highlights how mentorship, financial support, and recognition for emerging female leaders have transformed lives and strengthened advocacy worldwide.
Launched in 2022 to honour the late drug user activist Jude Byrne, the award supports emerging female leaders within the global community of women who use drugs. Co-created by INPUD and INHSU, it includes a tailored 9-month mentorship program with INPUD and a full scholarship to the annual INHSU conference.
Since the inception of the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award, over 100 nominations from 32 countries have been received from new emerging leaders in the fields of harm reduction and drug policy. In 2025, the number of women nominated doubled compared to 2024, with 40 emerging leaders from 14 countries. Recipients describe the experience as transformative—building global networks, gaining new advocacy opportunities, and finding renewed confidence in their work.
This award meant so much in my life — it helped me keep going at a time when I was questioning my own motivations as an activist and my future. Meeting other people who have received it helped me understand that the impact of the award goes far beyond what can be measured qualitatively — it touches lives and very diverse personal experiences.
Others spoke about the power of connection.
I work at such a local level in encampments. I had never been to a conference before. I had a lot of imposter syndrome. You know in general people don’t listen to women. They’re so many more layers of stigma. But the award sets up so many opportunities for support. I’m connected to the other recipients, and together we’ve built a community.”
The report concludes that investing in women who use drugs fosters not only personal resilience but also community transformation.
I gave 50% of the money to the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS to support seven other narcofeminists, so we could all have access to psychological support… together we learnt tools that we are applying to our work to keep us healthier.
Alla Bessonova, Kyrgyzstan, 2024 recipient.
The Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award continues to demonstrate how meaningful investment in women who use drugs can create lasting, systemic change.
