OPINION: Women are at risk of alcohol harms

CEBU, Philippines — For too many Filipino women, danger isn’t in dark alleys or unfamiliar streets. It’s inside their homes, at the hands of the people they love.

In this year’s Women’s Month, we are reminded that gender equality is not just about representation or economic opportunity—it is also about ensuring that women can live free from harm.

One of the most insidious threats to women’s safety today is something we see in every sari-sari store, every convenience store, and every neighborhood: alcohol.

Drinking is deeply woven into our culture. It’s a sought-after staple whether in moments of grief or celebration. But behind the casual toasts, there’s a hidden cost—one that too many women pay for in fear, injury, and broken families.

Alcohol is not just a personal vice. Alcohol use is a significant risk factor that can lead to violent behavior, especially among intimate partners. It has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the individual, especially for women and children in households where alcohol use spirals into dependency and abuse.

In a 2016 study by Kerridge and Tan on husband/partner intoxication and intimate partner violence against women in the Philippines, 92.9% of the partners of women who experienced intimate partner violence were intoxicated at least sometimes.

According to the National Demographic and Health Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), women whose partners are often drunk are five times more likely to experience violence compared to women whose partners don’t drink at all. Having a partner who drinks, even if they never get drunk, increases the probability of intimate partner violence by 80%.

A survey by Vital Strategies conducted in 2024 showed that 87% of Filipinos believe that alcohol consumption increases the risk of violence against women. The same survey showed that 60% of Filipinos identify violence in general as the most concerning type of problem Filipinos associate with alcohol.

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 55 percent of domestic abuse perpetrators were drinking alcohol prior to the assault.

Domestic violence is a massive problem in the Philippines. According to the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey¹, 18% of women between 18 to 49 have experienced any form of physical, sexual, or emotional violence by their most recent husband or intimate partner.

These are not just statistics; they represent women who live in fear, who bear both physical and emotional scars, and who struggle to protect their children from the cycle of violence fueled by alcohol use.

The most devastating part is that alcohol harms even those who don’t drink it.

Alcohol use plays a major role in the prevalence of domestic violence among the poor, especially violence inflicted upon women, in the Philippines. The stories of those with alcohol use disorder speak of how it affects all aspects of their lives—their productivity is hampered, and the household budget is often drained.

Alcohol use is not simply a matter of individual discipline. For far too long, policies have allowed alcohol to be affordable and accessible to Filipinos, within arm’s reach of the youth and vulnerable low-income families. Its harms have been downplayed and alcohol norms have been reinforced by the alcohol industry.

As a woman, I often ponder on the fact that alcohol use is preventable, and many who have passed away from addiction could have lived a longer, healthier life had they not fallen into the vicious cycle. And I worry, still, about the many Filipino families whose lives are disfigured because of this.

This Women’s Month, my hope is that we turn our attention to the forthcoming May midterm elections. Our policymakers must do their part in reducing alcohol-related harms such as domestic and community violence by supporting higher taxes on alcohol. Higher taxes on alcohol will limit access for the youth and the poor, and even for those likely to engage in domestic partner violence.

To politicians who will be courting the public’s vote in May, health advocates await your support for legislation raising alcohol taxes in the upcoming 20th Congress. We will not forget those who stood up for Filipino women who have been victims of alcohol-related domestic violence.

SOURCE:

1. https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/PR146/PR146.pdf

About the Author: Pia Rodrigo is strategic communications officer at Action for Economic Reforms.

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