India
In India, the WINGS intervention is known as Pankh, meaning "wings" in Hindi, a symbol of freedom and transformation. First piloted in 2017 in Pune through a partnership with local NGO Sahara Aalhad, WINGS/Pankh was designed to identify and address gender-based violence (GBV), including intimate partner violence (IPV), among women who use drugs (WUD), a population often excluded from mainstream support systems.
Where and How
The pilot intervention used a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) model to support participants in developing individualized safety plans. Based on its success, WINGS was expanded as Phase II and is now implemented in three diverse settings: Pune, Manipur, and New Delhi.
The program focuses specifically on women who inject or use opioids, many of whom face severe structural, social, and health-related barriers.
Impact Highlights
In Manipur, the Nirvana Foundation conducted a study with 100 women who completed the WINGS intervention, revealing extremely high rates of GBV and IPV. Through the intervention:
- 57 women (57%) were successfully linked to Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST)
- 4 HIV-positive women were initiated into antiretroviral therapy (ART)
These outcomes reflect the program’s ability to connect women not just to safety services, but to holistic health care and harm reduction support.
Challenges
While Pankh has made important strides, it has also revealed critical gaps in India’s IPV response systems for women who use drugs. Implementing organizations, including Nirvana Foundation, have faced challenges linking participants to:
- Social protection services (legal, counseling, housing)
- Employment and job training opportunities
- Government cash assistance programs
In response, WINGS/Pankh teams have engaged multi-sectoral stakeholders—including police, legal services, and social protection agencies—to advocate for more inclusive, accessible services for this highly stigmatized group.
For More Information
Nirvana Website：http://www.nirvanafoundation.org/
Recent Publications
CONTACT
Nirvana Foundation: nirvanafoundation@rediffmail.com
Harjyot Khosa (External Relations Director, IPPF South Asia): Hkhosa@ippf.org