RECAP: Women, Gender, and the Future of Tobacco Control: Global Perspectives and Policy Action

Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death globally. Although tobacco control measures have significantly contributed to progress, gender-sensitive approaches are not yet fully integrated into research and policy. Doing this effectively requires a better understanding of the social, cultural, and economic factors that shape why men, women and gender-diverse people smoke and how these factors also influence their access to cessation support.   

On Wednesday, April 22, the Global Strategy Lab (GSL), in collaboration with the International Network for Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) and the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health (CEWH), hosted a webinar titled Women, Gender, and the Future of Tobacco Control: Global Perspectives and Policy Action. This event brought together a powerful group of women leaders in the tobacco control space. Drawing from backgrounds in advocacy, research, and policy, the panelists brought perspectives on progress to date, identified persistent gaps, and explored concrete action needed to advance equitable tobacco control policies that encompass men, women and gender-diverse populations. 

The discussion was moderated by Lathika Laguwaran, PhD candidate in Global Health at York University and Director of Operations at the Global Strategy Lab, who set the stage by highlighting how gender, social, cultural, and economic drivers shape tobacco use, as well as policy and research gaps that continue to limit more effective responses. She also highlighted GSL’s work on advancing gender-responsive tobacco control, which includes research examining how gender is integrated into tobacco policy and the development of a global, gender disaggregated-dataset on cigarette consumption.  

Key Takeways

How industry and social norms are changing tobacco use 

Tobacco use among women and girls is quickly evolving, but the ways in which the tobacco industry is digging its claws in this landscape can be subtle, targeted and often under-recognized.  

Yvette Mbewe, spokesperson for Global Youth Voices, brought attention to Zambia, highlighting how emerging products such as e-cigarettes and waterpipes are increasingly normalized among young women, often falsely portrayed as attractive through social media, shifting norms and targeted marketing. These products are often framed around ideas of independence, modernity, and belonging (narratives that resonate strongly with younger audiences).

Dr. Larissa Al-Uar, public health advocate and founding member of Tobacco Free Jordan, described how tobacco use in Jordan has moved from being socially stigmatized among women to being widely accepted in public and social spaces. 

Like a wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing, tobacco is being deliberately repositioned from flavoured products and aesthetic packaging to curated experiences in cafés and events.

These shifts are not incidental. They reflect a broader pattern of “feminizing” tobacco use (designing products, marketing strategies, and social environments that specifically appeal to women and girls).

The broader impacts of tobacco 

The narrative around tobacco tends to focus on individual behaviour. Panelists emphasized that the impacts are far more far-reaching.

Blanca Llorente, Research Director at Fundación Anáas, highlighted how women often experience disproportionate social and economic consequences, including taking on unpaid caregiving roles and experiencing the ripple effects of tobacco-related disease within households and communities.

Despite this, these gendered impacts are often under-measured and underrepresented in policy discussions.

Policy gaps and missed opportunities 

While frameworks such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) provide a strong foundation, panelists noted that implementation and enforcement remain uneven.  

Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, Managing Attorney at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), emphasized the importance of leveraging human rights mechanisms to strengthen accountability, pointing to opportunities to engage with international legal frameworks and treaty bodies to hold governments and industry accountable. 

Panelists also highlighted the need to move beyond siloed approaches. Addressing tobacco effectively requires engaging with broader systems, including health, gender equity, economics, and social protection. 

What needs to change 

Looking ahead, the panelists identified several priority actions to advance gender-responsive tobacco control.

This includes:

• Integrating gender explicitly into tobacco control policies and regulation, particularly for emerging products and digital environments  
• Strengthening restrictions on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, especially those targeting women and girls  
• Expanding access to gender-responsive cessation services that reflect the biological, social, and behavioural realities of women  
• Improving data collection and analysis to better understand intersectional and context-specific impacts  
• Leveraging taxation, human rights mechanisms, and litigation as tools for systemic change  
• Building stronger collaboration across sectors, particularly with organizations working in gender and women’s rights  

In a discussion that brought together experts from different sectors, countries and perspectives, there was clear agreement that gender-responsive tobacco control is not a niche issue; it is central to the effectiveness and equity of global tobacco control efforts. 

As tobacco use patterns continue to evolve, so too must the policies and interventions designed to address them. Ensuring that gender is at the centre of these efforts will be critical to achieving more effective and equitable outcomes.