Gender-Based Violence and Psychoactive Substance Use Among Women

The intersection of gender-based violence (GBV) and drug use among women presents a critical public health challenge, exacerbated by structural inequalities and social stigma. This communication explores the reciprocal relationship between violence and psychoactive substance use among women, focusing on how these two phenomena are mutually reinforcing. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with women in Spain who have experienced both violence and drug use, this study examines the unique vulnerabilities faced by women drug users. Research indicates that women who use drugs are disproportionately affected by various forms of violence, including intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, and structural violence. These experiences often perpetuate substance dependence as a coping mechanism for trauma.

The findings highlight how GBV against women who consume psychoactive substances often goes unrecognized or is downplayed by societal and institutional frameworks, which fail to consider the compounded stigma of both drug use and being a victim of violence. Moreover, trauma related to violence is frequently managed through increased substance use, creating a cyclical pattern that exacerbates social and health vulnerabilities in these women. The study underscores the need to integrate gender-sensitive approaches in legal, health, and social services to address the complex interactions between violence and psychoactive substance use. Coordinated interventions that include both addiction treatment and support for GBV victims are essential to breaking this cycle of victimization.

This research advocates a reassessment of drug policies and violence prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of a gender perspective in the pursuit of environmental and social justice.