Young Adolescents’ Endorsement of Restrictive Gender Norms: Evidence From a Community-Based Intervention in Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways This study shows that targeting adult stakeholders through community-based norms diffusion can effectively reduce young adolescents’ endorsement of restrictive gender norms—particularly among boys. It highlights that gender attitudes during early adolescence are strongly shaped by peers, families, and broader social contexts, and that community-level interventions can shift these attitudes when they create enabling environments. The findings underscore the importance of engaging influential adults and peers in shifting gender norms, especially given the rigidity of norms in low-income, post-conflict contexts.
Objectives To examine how individual and contextual factors influence young adolescents’ endorsement of restrictive gender norms in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, to assess developmental change in gender attitudes over two school years, and to evaluate the impact of a community-based intervention targeting adult stakeholders.
Methods The study used a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control schools, including a randomized school-level assignment in Sierra Leone and matched comparison schools in Côte d’Ivoire. Surveys were conducted with a cohort of fourth-grade students (N = 1,793; aged ~10 at baseline) over two school years. Measures of gender attitudes were adapted from the Gender Equity Measurement Tool, focusing on attitudes about adult roles, education, and gender-based violence. Regression analyses were used to assess predictors and intervention effects.
Intervention Details Implemented by Save the Children, the intervention used a community-based norms diffusion approach. Mixed-gender “core groups” of influential adults led discussions and workshops about gender inequality, facilitated community needs assessments, and developed Community Action Plans. These included gender-sensitive codes of conduct in schools and public events promoting gender equity. The goal was to create social environments where adolescents would feel supported in rejecting restrictive norms.
Results At baseline, boys endorsed significantly more restrictive gender norms than girls. Peer norms, particularly among same-gender peers, and exposure to violence against women were strong predictors of restrictive attitudes. Developmental change in gender attitudes over time was minimal in the absence of intervention. However, exposure to the intervention led to a modest but statistically significant reduction in restrictive gender attitudes, especially among boys. In Côte d’Ivoire, boys showed significant improvements in attitudes related to education; in Sierra Leone, improvements were seen in attitudes about adult gender roles.
Conclusions Gender attitudes in early adolescence are shaped by complex interactions between individual traits and social contexts. While attitudes are generally resistant to change, community-level interventions that shift the social environment—especially those that target adult influencers—can promote more egalitarian norms among young adolescents. Further efforts are needed to engage girls more deeply and to address persistent norms around gender-based violence.
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