Battling the stigma on alcoholic women: Marty Mann and the medicalization of alcoholism among women in the United States, 1939-1968

This article aims to show that Marty Mann, executive director of the "National Council on Alcoholism" (NCA), and a pioneer female "Alcoholics Anonymous" member, tried to reduce the stigma on alcoholic women and provide them with her version of gender-specific treatment during the three decades that preceded the "Women's Alcoholism Movement" of the 1970s. She had only some success because perceptions of gender and alcoholism limited her ability to promote her ideas. However, her activities meant that the "Women's Alcoholism Movement" had some foundation to build on when it took on the role of aiding female alcoholics in America.