Rizanna Rosemary, Olaf Werder
Objective: Women smokers are overlooked because of their current low smoking rates compared to men smokers. However, smoking among women in developing countries, including Indonesia is increasing due to the weakening of social stigma that was previously said to prevent them from uptake cigarettes. The study aimed to explore the stigmatization of smoking women from women’s perspectives. Methods: We interviewed 39 women—19 smokers and 20 nonsmokers aged 18 years old and above in Banda Aceh and Jakarta representing urban contexts. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using the self-categorization theory where women characterized identity at different levels of inclusiveness. Results: Our study found most participants perceived the social stigma of women smokers still exists. Women’s viewpoints toward women smokers are situated between challenging and compromising women and their smoking conduct, illustrated by why they smoke, where they choose to smoke, and how the smokers look like. Conclusion: Women’s perceptions and attitudes toward women smoking provide insights into how the remainder of social judgment can serve as a barrier to capturing accurate information about women smokers and solving smoking-related issues, particularly in developing countries, such as Indonesia. Policymakers and health professionals need to determine and implement more gendered sensitive tobacco control interventions. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Department of Media and Communication, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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