Integrating Alcohol Prevention Into Violence Prevention Efforts
Our Watch and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) have jointly called on Australian governments to take decisive action on alcohol policy as part of the national strategy to end violence against women and children. Their new policy brief, Opportunities to Address Alcohol Policy as Part of a Holistic Approach to Preventing Violence Against Women, highlights how heavy alcohol use by men can escalate and intensify violent behaviour. The brief urges governments to explicitly address the link between alcohol and gender-based violence in law, policy, and regulation, ensuring harm prevention becomes a cornerstone of national efforts.
Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch, stated in a media release that Australia must focus on the interaction between men’s alcohol use, their attitudes toward women, and broader social norms that glorify aggression and dominance. She explained that when heavy alcohol use intersects with disrespect and gendered power imbalances, the risks to women increase sharply. According to Ms Kinnersly, alcohol prevention and efforts to address gender inequality must go hand in hand to create safer communities.
Not all people who drink alcohol are violent, and many people who are violent do not drink alcohol. But Australia does need to focus on the interaction between men’s alcohol consumption and their attitudes towards women, as well as broader social norms relating to masculinity, alcohol and violence”
Patty Kinnersly, CEO, Our Watch
Our Watch is Australia’s leader in the primary prevention of violence against women.
Reshaping Alcohol Culture and Masculinity
The policy brief calls for reshaping the cultural acceptance of alcohol use that fuels male aggression and dominance. It recommends that liquor laws across states and territories prioritise harm prevention and recognise domestic, family, and sexual violence as forms of alcohol-related harm. The brief also urges better regulation of alcohol marketing that associate alcohol use with masculinity, power, and control.
These recommendations echo findings of research, which consistently highlights how alcohol contributes to gender-based violence globally. For example, a landmark Movendi International report outlines how alcohol significantly increases the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. It shows that alcohol fuels violence particularly in contexts where gender inequality is already present.
And a Movendi International Special Feature for the International Dat for the Elimination of Violence against Women documents how alcohol marketing often sexualises and objectifies women, creating environments that normalise disrespect and exploitation.
Regulating Alcohol Availability and Marketing
FARE CEO Ayla Chorley emphasised that alcohol is more widely available than ever before in Australia. She pointed to the rapid rise in online sales and home delivery, a largely unregulated system that fuels family and domestic violence.
The policy brief warns that outdated liquor laws have failed to keep pace with this digital expansion. Reforming these laws could significantly reduce the risks faced by women and children by placing common-sense limits on how alcohol is marketed, sold, and delivered.
World class research reinforces this argument: A study reports that alcohol contributes to 50% of partner violence cases in Australia and 73% of physical assaults by a partner. These figures illustrate how alcohol use directly intensifies gender-based violence. Similar patterns are seen globally, for instance, in South Africa, 65% of women who experience intimate partner violence reported that the perpetrator had used alcohol.
Partnerships for Prevention and A Call to Action for Governments
Ms Kinnersly stressed the need for partnerships between organisations that focus on violence prevention and those addressing alcohol-related harm. Collaboration, she said, allowed for more comprehensive approaches that target both harmful alcohol norms and gender inequality.
Policy reform and community-based strategies that address alcohol harms can change social norms, shift alcohol norms, and create safer environments for women and children.
Community leaders and advocates agree: preventing alcohol harm is crucial to preventing violence against women and children. As Ms Chorley explained, governments have the power to make a significant difference by regulating how alcohol is marketed and delivered into homes.
FARE Lived Experience Advisor and Survivor Advocate Kym Valentine added that urgent action is needed to use the policy levers already available to reduce violence and protect those living in fear in their homes.
Evidence shows that addressing alcohol harm through policy reform, education, and community partnerships is a public health issue, as well as a moral and social responsibility. Integrating alcohol prevention into Australia’s national strategy to end gender-based violence offers a clear path forward to protect women and children and create communities free from harm.