“My life is already politics.”: the (im)possibility of civic and political participation among street-involved women who use drugs in Oporto

Street-involved (SI) women who use drugs are disproportionately impacted by intersectional inequalities, gender-based violence, and stigma. Despite the growing number of collectives and social movements advocating for the rights of women who use drugs, evidence regarding their civic and political participation remains overlooked. This study employs the narcofeminism framework to explore opportunities for developing civic and political literacy, accessing civic rights, and examining the experiences of civic and political participation of ten SI women who use drugs living in Oporto. Qualitative interviews were conducted to gather life stories about their opportunities and experiences related to civic and political participation at different stages of their life cycles (childhood, adolescence, and adulthood). The reflexive narrative analysis of the critical events influencing the participants’ civic and political participation revealed three main themes: “Adverse childhood experiences as barriers to literacy development”, “Early adulthood in adolescence”, and “Civic rights illiteracy and the (im)possibility of political participation in adulthood”. The results indicate that intersectional inequalities, gender-based violence, and stigma adversely impact women's opportunities for civic and political participation. Conversely, they also demonstrate that meaningful civic and political engagement yields social and psychological benefits. Overall, we conclude that outreach teams and services working with SI women who use drugs are pivotal in promoting civic rights literacy and political engagement.