Migrant women, alcohol and drinking experiences: a narrative review

Migrant women’s alcohol use has been understudied despite evidence that gender, culture, and migration shape drinking experiences. This review synthesizes qualitative research on how migrant women experience host-country drinking cultures, their gendered drinking experiences and factors influencing their alcohol use. The review was conducted across five databases (ProQuest, Dimensions, Scopus, PsycINFO and PubMed). Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed qualitative studies published since 2000 examining migrant women’s experiences with alcohol and drinking cultures. Twenty-two articles were included in the review and analyzed using narrative synthesis. Studies came from five Western countries. Five key themes were identified: (1) coping with emotional challenges; (2) acculturation and drinking cultures; (3) policing of femininity through gendered norms regulating women’s drinking behaviors; (4) fear of violence: gendered outcomes of drinking alcohol and (5) Alcohol as a religious transgression. Findings showed that some migrant women drink to soothe loneliness; others abstain yet risk social exclusion. Gendered double standards persist; while drinking may offer fleeting belonging, it also invites judgment and vulnerability. Migrant women face a balancing act as drinking can simultaneously facilitate social inclusion and reinforce host-country exclusion. Findings highlight how alcohol use among migrant women is deeply intertwined with broader structures of gender, cultural adaptation, and belonging.