Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award
INPUD are proud to honour the memory of a legendary drug user advocate through the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award – a joint initiative between INPUD and the International Network on Health & Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU). Established in 2022, this award offers a transformative opportunity for emerging female leaders within the global drug user community. Two recipients are chosen each year to participate in a nine-month personalised mentorship program co-created with INPUD, along with a $10,000 USD award prize and a fully funded scholarship to the annual INHSU conference being held this year in Cape Town, South Africa, 14–17 October 2025.
Jude Byrne was an extraordinary person and fearless advocate for people who use drugs over a career spanning decades, holding numerous roles with the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) as well as serving as a board member of INHSU. Jude was also a founding member of INPUD and acting Chair of the Board for close to a decade. Few people have left such a lasting impact on the movement as Jude. Read more about Jude’s life and impact here.
2025 Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award
This year’s round of the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award saw a record-breaking 40 applications from 15 countries, each comprising a written component and video presentation. The finalists were chosen after a deliberation by a panel of highly respected women in leadership including women leaders from INPUD’s global network of activists.
The Jude Byrne Award was developed to address the lack of education and career opportunities for women who use drugs due to worldwide systemic stigma and discrimination. The Award invests in women with the potential to make meaningful contributions to our community, but without the means to stake themselves due to economic and social inequities.
Our Executive Director, Anton Basenko, described it like this: “The Jude Byrne Award provides an incredible opportunity for the recipients to grow and thrive as leaders and advocates. In addition it is an effective vehicle for raising awareness of the barriers that women who use drugs face when pursuing their right to education, employment and economic success. Its value is evident in the way doors have opened to previous awardees as a direct result of their participation, and the model it provides to strengthen drug user networks with a skilled and empowered peer workforce.”
Emma Day, Executive Director of partner organisation INHSU, offered this statement of support: “It’s an honour to support the next generation of female leaders. The work of this year’s awardees is not only impactful, it also echoes Jude Byrne’s legacy, inspiring us all to continue advocating for those who need it most.”
We are proud to announce…
There are a total of four remarkable women who will benefit as recipients of a Jude Byrne Award in 2025. Two early career peers were chosen for the Emerging Female Leaders Award, and two women already established in senior roles in a peer network received Special Recognition. Join us in congratulating all recipients as they begin a very powerful journey of listening, learning, experiencing and networking in order to increase their contribution to our community’s goals.
The recipients of the Emerging Female Leaders Award are:
– Kaumba Akkufo, Zambia
– Vielta Parhomenko, Ukraine
Kaumba and Vielta will now embark on a nine-month mentoring program with INPUD and will have a USD 10,000 award prize provided by INPUD for personal development opportunities. They will also attend the INHSU 2025 conference in Cape Town, South Africa, this October 2025 on a scholarship from INHSU covering travel, accommodation and registration costs, along with a presentation opportunity on the Community Day programme.
The recipients of the Special Recognition Award are:
– Rita Gatonye, Kenya
– Joana Canêdo, Portugal
Special Recognition recipients are acknowledged for their advocacy contributions and receive tailored mentoring sessions to support and strengthen their ongoing leadership and impact. This Award was given for the first time in 2024.
Getting to know our 2025 Award recipients…
Kaumba Akkufo, Zambia
Kaumba is a passionate human rights advocate focusing on the reintegration of formerly incarcerated women. Having experienced imprisonment herself, she co-founded Tithandizane Comfort Homes, an organisation that empowers women through entrepreneurship training and advocates for justice system reform. She is also part of the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women, a founder of Formerly Incarcerated Women Africa and a member of Penal Reforms Global group of experts.
“This recognition means so much to me, not only personally but for my community of Chibolya, where so many women are in urgent need of support through harm reduction. This award strengthens my resolve to continue advocating for those whose voices are often unheard and to work toward real, life-changing solutions.”
Vielta Parhomenko, Ukraine
Vielta, a feminist activist, uses her personal experience with drug use to empower other women in the drug-using community. With over a decade of NGO leadership, she is committed to challenging stigma and improving access to harm reduction and HIV services.
“I am a passionate advocate for the rights of women who use drugs at both regional and international levels, working to challenge stigma, prevent gender-based violence, and improve access to community-led harm reduction and HIV services. My work is grounded in solidarity, justice, and care.”
Rita Gatonye, Kenya (Special Recognition)
Rita is a human rights’ advocate with over a decade’s experience in peer-led harm reduction and a passion for drug policy and legal reform work. She is currently the team leader at Women in Response to HIV/AIDS and Drug Addiction, an advocacy network of women and young people who use drugs in East Africa. She has represented African women who use drugs at various policy forums and conferences within Africa and internationally.
“Thank you for the confidence and respect I have been shown through being chosen for a mentorship with the Jude Byrne Award. I have two clear learning goals. The first is to build my leadership skills, having seen how environments can thrive when the right people lead – especially when women of integrity are in the driver’s seat. The other is to be a better advocate for African women, as one of my greatest joys is being part of a sisterhood that works together to make genuine positive change. I look forward to what this opportunity might bring for our community.”
Joana Canêdo, Portugal (Special Recognition)
Joana is a passionate activist for the rights of people who use drugs. She is a member of the Executive Committee of EuroNPUD, Local Campaigns Coordinator and researcher at the network, and is part of the women’s team, SisterWUD. Joana actively volunteers with women, trans women, and non-binary people who use drugs and/or do sex work at MANAS, a grassroots collective based in Lisbon, Portugal, operating under GAT/Treatment Action Group. Currently, she is living in Mauritius while conducting her PhD fieldwork at Collectif Urgence Toxida (CUT). Joana is also a member of the Latin-American “INHSU HispanoAméricas,” an informal group established at INHSU in 2023/24.
“I am deeply committed to fostering community-centred approaches in the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative programs that advance the rights and well-being of people who use drugs. Receiving this Special Recognition Award inspires me to continue amplifying the voices of my community and working collaboratively towards a more inclusive, equitable and desirable future.”
2024 Jude Byrne Award Recipients
Alla Bessenova, Bishek, Kyrgyzstan
Alla is a committed activist and narcofeminist from Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), actively involved in gender-oriented projects focusing on women’s rights in drug policy and improving their quality of life. She is a Master’s student at the Faculty of Social Psychology of Bishkek Humanitarian University.
For three years, Alla represented Kyrgyzstan in the Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network (EWNA) and is now a member of the Secretariat. She currently coordinates the Expert Feminist Council at Eurasian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ENPUD), where she will continue to support and strengthen narcofeminism. Alla said:
“Kyrgyzstan and other EECA countries face increasingly oppressive governments that restrict civil society, especially in harm reduction and advocacy. With this award and mentorship, I hope to strengthen women-led networks and activists facing violence and human rights violations. The mentorship will also support me in conducting a gender assessment of HIV services for women who use drugs in Kyrgyzstan, building community capacity, and fostering partnerships to support human rights defenders and enhance community-led programs.”
Sarah Whipple, Sacramento, California, USA
Sarah Whipple is an outreach worker for a needle exchange and a community organiser for a sex worker rights organisation in Sacramento, USA. Her work has included organising sex worker memorials and decriminalisation rallies, developing injection alternative kits with a national pipe distributor, running one of the most followed harm reduction education accounts on social media, and volunteering at community projects such as an autonomous encampment and nearby rural needle exchange. Sarah said:
“I deeply admire Jude Byrne’s legacy of fearless drug user activism and I am so excited to learn from mentors in the international harm reduction movement. One of my primary goals for the award is to develop a group that provides harm reduction resources to Sacramento’s LGBTQIA+ community. I also hope to develop skills in non-hierarchical leadership and resilience in the face of anti-harm reduction backlash.”
Special Recognition Award, Angela McBride, South Africa
Additionally, the judges have awarded a Special Recognition Award to Angela McBride, Executive Director of The South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD), who will be receiving one-on-one mentoring sessions with a senior female global advocate to provide practical support and advice on specific challenges. Angela said:
“I’ve had the privilege of working for a community of people who use drugs in South Africa, who have faced some harsh realities but who have chosen to stand up and say no. No to hate, no to discrimination, no to violations, and yes to change, to harm reduction. Together we’ve formed a powerful community, still growing, but a lot stronger and more aware than we were.
“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and unbelievably thankful to the magnificent humans who I work alongside and have helped me be me, someone who supports her community with the love, kindness and compassion they deserve,” said Angie. “I am super excited to learn more about how I can become a better guide to my community and how to better navigate a forever changing and quite intimidating global environment.”
2023 Jude Byrne Award Recipients
Jessica Morales, Guatemala
Jessica is a dedicated activist and advocate based in Guatemala City who has been actively involved in various projects focused on human rights, drug policy, and the well-being of marginalised communities. She is currently working on a Global Fund project to improve the response to HIV. Speaking of receiving the award, she commented:
“My ultimate goal is to establish a community-based organisation in Guatemala that will strengthen advocacy efforts related to drug policy and the rights of people who use drugs. I firmly believe in the power of partnerships and aim to expand relationships, particularly with women’s organisations, and create a network of feminist anti-prohibitionists throughout Latin America.”
Kira Watson, Scotland
Kira Watson, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, has been involved in the harm reduction area for several years as a peer educator and activist. Currently employed by a harm reduction NGO in Scotland, Kira actively engages with individuals who use drugs, providing one-on-one support. She’s also a volunteer with the Nightlife Empowerment Network (NEWNet).
“I am thrilled to have been selected for this award. I am eager to learn more about policy and advocacy work from the mentors and gain new skills in community consultation and co-production. I ultimately aspire to develop a specific service for women who use drugs, inspired by the remarkable work of projects like Metzineres in Spain and Chemical Sisters in Italy.”
2022 Jude Byrne Award Recipients
Danielle Russell, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
A doctoral student at Arizona State University, Danielle is expected to graduate in Spring 2023. Her work is oriented towards community-based participatory action research and she is committed to health equity for people who use illicit drugs and mutual aid.
“My hopes for the mentorship program are to have support navigating the set-up and implementation of analytical drug testing services that are collectively owned by people who use drugs here in my community. There is rapid mobile laboratory testing available for everything from laundry mats to car washes (to maintain environmental compliance), so there is no reason people who use illicit drugs shouldn’t have access to potentially life-saving information that this kind of drug testing resource can provide. If we can have these analytical testing services available for a car wash, we should certainly have them available to protect people’s lives and bodies from harm. Additionally, I’m looking forward to, and am grateful for, the opportunity to learn from others with more experience outside of my community.”
“Drug contamination and the lack of transparency into drug quality/concentration/characterization is increasingly an issue here. Ultimately, I want us to have mobile, rapid turnaround drug testing services with all levels of analysis and data owned by people who use drugs.”
Yatie Jonet, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Yatie has harm reduction field expertise and is currently affiliated with the Persatuan Insaf Murni Malaysia as an Engagement Officer, a role she secured after taking steps to become an independent community advocate. More importantly, Yatie is a reliable and resourceful friend, a loud and vocal community advocate, a community mobilisor and human rights defender. She is a person who uses substances and has also experienced imprisonment and detention centres.
“I’m excited to take this opportunity to build my capacity and become self-equipped with the knowledge which will help me achieve my goals in the drug policy reform advocacy movement. I’m also excited to gain knowledge from field experts who can guide me to become a better community advocate.”
“I’m very interested in community-led research and would like to initiate a new research project from the community, for the community in supporting local, regional and international drug policy reform movements. I’m also hoping to build my personal capacity as a communicator, by learning to be extra vocal and to fearlessly advocate through social media platforms.”