When men drink, women and children pay the price

A new global review by La Trobe University has exposed the often overlooked harms that men’s alcohol consumption causes to women and children, urging immediate policy action in Australia and around the world to address these sex-related harms.

The study, “Harms to Women and Children from Men’s Alcohol Use: A Review of the Evidence and Policy Directions,” combines data from three recent systematic reviews that analyzed 78 academic papers.

Worldwide, one in three women in some countries lives with a partner who drinks heavily. Children in these families are also at greater risk of violence, neglect, poor health and limited opportunities later in life.

These negative effects are particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries and in places where gender inequality remains high.

The research, led by Professor Anne-Marie Laslett from the La Trobe Center for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) and published by global research non-profit RTI International, found that men typically consume more alcohol than women and are more likely to harm others when they drink.

As a result, women and children bear a disproportionate share of the consequences, including physical injury, emotional distress, economic stress, and disruption to education and family life.

Professor Laslett said: “Research shows that the consequences of men’s alcohol use extend far beyond the individual drinking.”

“Women and children pay a heavy price, but policies rarely take their experiences into account. This is a major gap in international public health and social policy.”

Global data also indicate that there are significant differences between countries in how much and how often men and women drink. In many regions, these disparities make the impact of men’s alcohol use on women and children more serious.

Professor Laslett said: “Globally, there has been little recognition that the drinking of others, especially men’s drinking, contributes to many of the harms to women and children.”

“Social, cultural and economic policies, as well as alcohol policies, need to change to ensure they respond to the harms to women and children highlighted in this review.”

In Australia, the findings are particularly timely given the growing national interest in domestic and family violence.

The role of alcohol in triggering intimate partner violence has been recognized in recent government reviews, with calls for strengthening regulation and prevention strategies.

The Australian federal government last year commissioned a rapid review that recommended addressing the alcohol regulatory environment.

The review emphasizes that although proven policies, such as increasing taxes on alcohol, restricting its availability, and reducing marketing, remain essential, they must be coupled with interventions that address harmful gender norms and empower women and children.

A cross-sectoral approach that includes health, legal and social services is crucial to achieving real change.

Professor Siri Hettig, a researcher from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka who collaborated on the project, said targeted community-level interventions that address the realities faced by women and children were necessary.

“Given the nature of the social context in which harm to women and children from men’s drinking occurs, interventions to reduce these harms may have to go beyond current alcohol policies,” Professor Hettig said.