Every woman dreams of experiencing safe public space. Walking freely at any time of the day, going to visit friends or family, attending a sports event, or a concert and then safely returning home.
But currently, public space is unsafe for women. To cope, to get by, to survive, women have had to develop strategies for how to escape or avoid an attack. Violence against women in public space is fueled by alcohol. The more points of alcohol sale and the more alcohol ads are placed in an area, the more violence women and girls face.
Placing common sense limits on alcohol availability, such as lowering opening hours or increasing distances between alcohol outlets, are proven solutions to make public space safer by helping to reduce and prevent violence against women.
But UN Women, the world’s leading agency on Women’s Rights and gender equality, can do more and better to address alcohol harm in women.
That is why we call on UM Women to create technical guidelines for all municipalties on how to use alcohol policy to prevent and reduce violence against women.
Alcohol policy is a proven catalyst for women’s health and rights, for gender equality, for women to exprience public space freely and safely.”
Kristina Sperkova, International President, Movendi International
Achieving women’s health, rights and empowerment through tackling alcohol as feminist issue
The world is witnessing a crisis hiding in plain sight – alcohol consumption among women is rising at an unprecedented rate. What was once a male-dominated behavior has now been normalized, glamorized, and even marketed as empowerment for women. But behind the glossy advertisements, social media trends, and “wine mom” pushing alcohol norm lies a women’s health and rights crisis: women are experiencing disproportionate and rising harm from alcohol use, and society is unprepared to address it.
Understanding the harm to take action for change
This comprehensive and state of the art overview exposes the hidden toll of the products and practices of alcohol companies on women’s health, rights, and well-being – from rising cases of alcohol-related cancers, to the role alcohol plays in intimate partner violence.
This report uncovers the deliberate targeting of women by the alcohol industry and the growing normalization of alcohol consumption in professional, social, and digital spaces.
And this report also addresses the feminist paradox – why some women’s rights movements have distanced themselves from alcohol policy initiatives, despite the devastating impact the products and practices of alcohol companies have had and are increasingly having on women and girls globally.
Why alcohol harm is a women’s rights issue
- Alcohol is not gender-neutral. Women’s bodies metabolize alcohol differently, making them more vulnerable to alcohol-related diseases, such as breast cancer, faster progression to alcohol use disorder and addiction, and increased risk of other mental health disorders.
- Marketing has shifted from sexualization, objectification, and dehumanisation women to targeting women and girls as consumers. The alcohol industry now co-opts feminist messaging to sell alcohol as a tool of empowerment, wellness, and social bonding – especially targeting young women through social media influencers and digital ads.
- Economic and social inequalities influence alcohol use. While wealthier women may consume alcohol for socialization, low-income women increasingly use alcohol to cope with stress, financial strain, and domestic instability.
- Alcohol fuels gender-based violence. Studies across multiple countries show that alcohol use significantly increases the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence, including homicide.
- Reproductive health risks are underreported. Beyond pregnancy risks, alcohol disrupts fertility, menstrual health, and increases the likelihood of breast and ovarian cancer.
- Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at higher risk. Women in LMICs face compounding harms– from weaker healthcare access to rampant alcohol industry exploitation and aggressive marketing.
The Changing Landscape of Women and Alcohol Harm. A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
The alcohol industry has sexualized women for decades to sell alcohol to men – with devastating consequences concerning violence, harmful social norms and power structures, and other second-hand harms.
In recent years Big Alcohol began targeting women to convert them to alcohol consumers – and this has caused and is causing harm.
Women and girls face a double burden: harmful norms and stereotypes against women – fueling and fomenting violence and other second-hand harms. Plus rising direct health harm from women’s increasing alcohol use.
Clearly, alcohol policy is a feminist issue.
