Alcohol, Gender and Violence in Bougainville

This short paper draws on research undertaken in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in 2015. It specifically explored the relationship
between women’s economic empowerment and violence
against women through in-depth qualitative interviews.
Interviewees included business women in the urban context
of Arawa (Kieta District) and rural women involved in informal
marketing and alluvial mining (Panguna District) and in
informal marketing and cocoa farming (Tinputz District).

Preliminary analysis reveals a strong connection between
men’s excessive alcohol consumption and violence against
their intimate partners. The stories of violence confirm that when women bring economic resources into the household, they do not inevitably become more empowered or suffer less violence.

A key lesson to be drawn from the Bougainville case study is that women’s economic empowerment programs need a wider focus beyond giving women access to economic opportunities. If women are to be truly empowered, work on gender is required, in particular the role of gender norms and practices in the context of marital relationships, and this must include an effort to address the excessive consumption of alcohol by male partners.