Women as vulnerable subjects: A gendered reading of the English and Irish drug strategies

The role of social mechanisms of change in women’s addiction recovery trajectories

“…The stigmatised figure of substance using mothers can present women with the challenge of managing a spoiled identity (Goffman, 1963). With phrases such as 'slut, lush or bad mothers' (Covington, 2002, p. 2) being associated with substance using women, males do not encounter the same level of shame which casts shadow on his competence as a parent: the societal stigma attached to women who use substances produces greater levels of shame and guilt (Wincup, 2019) and can act as a barrier to seeking support (Cloud, 1987). Women who feel they represent stability for their families can therefore encounter greater societal pressures and can cite the use of substances as a way of reducing, or numbing this experience (Nelson-Zlupko et al, 1995).…”

“…Experience of incarceration can also create a further stigmatic barrier for women who have experienced addiction and are trying to recover (Gunn & Canada, 2015;Moore et al, 2020;Van Olphen et al, 2009), as does the association of sex work which also intersects with gender and drug use, further compounding the stigmatised identity of women who are addicted (Gunn & Canada, 2015;Wincup, 2019). Strongly identifying with marginalised groups could also increase perceptions of stigmatisation (Wolff & Draine, 2004), as identifying generally to groups of people who are negatively targeted by the media and society has the potential to strengthen in-group solidarity and consequently reduce access to external resources (bridging capital) (Chapman & Murray, 2015).…”

“…This resulted in some women discussing their discomfort in mixed gender groups, highlighting the potential for women to experience genderspecific barriers to recovery due to trauma. The growth of gender-specific and gender responsive services can therefore be encouraged in light of this (Agenda, 2017;Andersson et al, 2020;Covington, 2008;Day et al, 2018), however as noted by Neale et al (2018) and Wincup (2019) women may still benefit from mixed-gender services provided they are gender-sensitive.…”

“…Despite what is known about differential experiences of recovery by gender, it is argued that there remains a gap between policy and practice. The latest Alcohol Strategy (HM Government, 2012) and Drug Strategy (HM Government, 2017) note the importance of supporting recovery, and whilst both strategies recognise that recovery encompasses much more than abstinence, there has been limited focus on the gendered implications of addiction and recovery to date (Andersson et al, 2020;Wincup, 2016Wincup, , 2019.…”

Producing gender-blind drug knowledge and representations in prison spaces

“…The lack of knowledge about women's NPS use in prisons is not surprising and it reflects wider knowledge gaps about women and drugs more generally. There is now a considerable amount of research highlighting the ways framing in policies contributes to this underrepresentation (Moore et al, 2015;Wincup, 2016Wincup, , 2019Thomas and Bull, 2018;Brown and Wincup, 2020). Furthermore, women in the criminal justice system occupy a minority status and thus drug interventions have often not considered the specific treatment needs of incarcerated women sufficiently (Fazel et al, 2006;Corston, 2007;Simpson and McNulty, 2008;Fazel, Yoon and Hayes, 2017;Grace, 2017;Ministry of Justice, 2018).…”