Key Social Norms Take-aways Gender norms are central to shaping young women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Angola, operating through socially shared expectations around education, autonomy, relationships, and reproduction. The study highlights that norms are unevenly supported across domains and geographies, with stronger acceptance of education and relational autonomy but weaker support for reproductive rights and equality within intimate relationships. Importantly, the findings underscore that norms are deeply intertwined with structural inequalities (e.g., poverty, access to services), meaning that effective SRHR interventions must address both normative and material conditions simultaneously. The study also demonstrates that measuring social norms requires careful distinction between personal attitudes and perceived collective expectations.

Objectives The study aimed to (1) understand how gender norms influence SRHR among young women in Angola, (2) assess the extent to which these norms are perceived to support or constrain SRHR in everyday life, and (3) develop and evaluate a context-specific, empirically grounded questionnaire to measure SRHR-related gender norms.

Methods A mixed-methods design was used, combining literature review, key informant interviews, and participatory workshops to identify relevant SRHR domains and develop questionnaire items. These were incorporated into a cross-sectional survey of 2,081 young women (ages 18–24) across three provinces. Social norms were measured through perceived community expectations (injunctive norms), and psychometric validation was conducted using Rasch analysis to assess reliability, dimensionality, and item functioning.

Results Findings revealed substantial provincial and thematic variation in normative support for SRHR. Rights related to education, bodily autonomy, and relationship choice were most widely supported, while norms around reproductive rights, marital consent, and decision-making equality were less endorsed. Fewer than half of respondents perceived strong normative support for many SRHR domains. Lower normative support was associated with worse outcomes, including higher rates of early pregnancy and intimate partner violence. Psychometric analysis showed the questionnaire had acceptable reliability and captured a coherent latent construct, though some variation across provinces indicated context-specific differences in how norms operate.

Conclusions The study concludes that gender norms remain a critical yet uneven determinant of SRHR, shaping young women’s agency, health behaviors, and access to care. While a context-specific measurement tool can validly capture these norms, the findings emphasize the need for interventions that are both norm-transformative and structurally responsive. Addressing SRHR requires not only shifting social expectations but also tackling the socio-economic inequalities that sustain restrictive norms and limit women’s ability to exercise their rights.