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A new Policy Brief released today by Our Watch and endorsed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) calls for alcohol harm minimisation strategies to be integrated into national efforts to prevent violence against women and children.
Heavy alcohol use by men can escalate and worsen their violent behaviour towards women, especially among men whose ideas of masculinity emphasise aggression, dominance and disrespect for women.
The Policy Brief: Opportunities to address alcohol policy as part of a holistic approach to preventing violence against women recommends governments explicitly address the link between alcohol and gender-based violence in law, policy and regulation. It sets out practical opportunities for policy makers as well as a range of other community-based strategies.
The brief highlights the need to reshape drinking cultures that celebrate men's dominance and aggression, to challenge ideas about masculinity that contribute to violence, and strengthen legal, policy and regulatory approaches to alcohol advertising, marketing, sale and delivery.
"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" said Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch.
"The evidence shows that when heavy alcohol use intersects with disrespect, gendered social norms and power imbalances, the risks to women escalate. That's why it's essential that alcohol harm prevention and work to address the gendered drivers of violence go hand in hand."
The brief outlines key reform opportunities, including amending state and territory liquor laws to prioritise harm minimisation and recognise domestic, family and sexual violence as relevant forms of alcohol-related harm, and improving regulation of alcohol advertising that targets men and links drinking with masculinity, dominance and control.
"Building partnerships between organisations working on preventing violence against women and organisations focused on preventing alcohol-related harms is essential, which is why Our Watch and FARE collaborated on this policy brief."
To prevent violence against women, we need a wide range of strategies, including new approaches to regulating the way alcohol is marketed, sold and delivered into homes. We need to design our prevention interventions with specific attention to reducing the risks faced by women" said Kinnersly.
"Policy reform and community-based strategies to address alcohol harms can make an important contribution to preventing violence against women.
"Together, these interventions can change harmful social norms and shift drinking cultures, creating safer communities for everyone."
FARE CEO Ayla Chorley said: "We know from the experiences of many victim survivors that alcohol plays a key role in the violence they experience. Our national approach to the crisis of family, domestic and sexual violence must address the impact of alcohol harm."
"As alcohol becomes more available and accessible, harms increase. Right now, alcohol is more accessible than ever due to the rapid increase of largely unregulated online sale and home delivery.
"Liquor laws have not kept up with today's digital environment, and the evidence shows that this is fuelling and exacerbating family and domestic violence. Governments can make a significant difference by better regulating the way alcohol is marketed, sold and delivered to the home."
FARE Lived Experience Advisor and Survivor Advocate Kym Valentine said: "Family and domestic violence is a complex issue, but there are levers within reach that can immediately reduce the frequency and severity of violence,"
"It is incumbent upon us to pull those levers with absolute urgency for every person living in fear in their home."
