The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: This presentation will discuss the cultivation, manufacturing and marketing of tobacco in relation to girls and women. Method: The British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health (BCCEWH) and the International Network Against Tobacco (INWAT) have partnered to write a report about the current tobacco epidemic among women and girls across the world.

Results: The negative effects of tobacco on women, girls and societies are not due only to consumption: they begin from the cultivation stage, are exacerbated by gender inequalities, and impact upon health, education, labour and food security, as well as economic and ecological poverty. As the international tobacco industry becomes ever more powerful and consolidated, the cheap (or often unpaid) labour of women is a key factor in ensuring the large profit margins of tobacco multinationals. The expansion of tobacco production and manufacturing in developing countries and the ever-changing tenor of tobacco marketing globally impacts women and girls in particular ways and should be addressed through targeted research and policy interventions.