Effectiveness of a multimedia campaign in shifting community knowledge, attitudes, social norms, and practices of female genital mutilation and child marriage in Ethiopia.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Exposure to the multimedia campaign was associated with greater awareness and less supportive attitudes toward female genital mutilation and child marriage, but deeply rooted sociocultural and religious norms continued to sustain both practices. The discussion emphasizes that individual attitude change is insufficient; sustained abandonment requires collective norm change through community and […]
Increasing young people’s use of sexual and reproductive health services in government health facilities in rural Kenya.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms and provider attitudes can create important psychosocial barriers to young people’s use of sexual and reproductive health services. Fear of judgment, shaming, parental disapproval, and loss of confidentiality may particularly discourage younger adolescents and girls. The findings suggest these barriers can be reduced by fostering more supportive provider attitudes […]
Promoting Adolescent Girls’ Well-Being in Pakistan: a Mixed-Methods Study of Change Over Time, Feasibility, and Acceptability, of the COMPASS Program
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Restrictive gender norms around girls’ mobility, safety, sexuality, and family honor limited adolescent girls’ access to resources and opportunities. While the COMPASS program improved psychosocial well-being, social support, and some gender-equitable attitudes, harmful norms surrounding violence, victim-blaming, and girls’ movement remained largely unchanged. The findings suggest that life skills programs should […]
Attitude towards gender roles and violence against women and girls (VAWG): baseline findings from an RCT of 1752 youths in Pakistan.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that patriarchal gender attitudes among Pakistani adolescents are shaped by social norms within peer groups, families, and schools. Peer violence, corporal punishment, child marriage expectations, and exposure to violence at home serve as indicators of gender norms that reinforce inequality. The authors argue that because peer norms are […]
Prevention of violence against women and girls: A cost-effectiveness study across 6 low- and middle-income countries
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that community-based interventions designed to change harmful gender norms and social norms around violence are among the most cost-effective strategies for preventing violence against women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. The findings highlight that investing in proven social norms interventions can improve population health, although additional […]
Assessing the Role of Sex and Gender Norms in Peer Violence Trends During Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study From Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms—particularly unequal expectations about sexual and romantic behavior for boys versus girls—may shape adolescents’ vulnerability to peer violence differently by sex. More unequal sexual double standard perceptions were associated with greater peer violence, particularly the overlap of victimization and perpetration among girls. The authors argue that gender-transformative approaches should address […]
Menarche as a silent transition: Islamic modesty norms, mother-daughter communication, and menstrual readiness among rural Indonesian adolescents.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Islamic modesty norms shape menstrual readiness by influencing whether, how, and how openly menstruation is discussed. Silence around menstruation was not simply an information gap but a socially meaningful practice associated with religious identity, femininity, modesty, and moral conduct. Importantly, adolescents did not reject Islamic values; rather, they wanted emotionally supportive […]
Mothers’ practices and barriers in sexuality education for adolescents with intellectual disabilities
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Cultural taboos and stigma surrounding sexuality strongly shaped mothers’ attitudes and practices, discouraging open discussion and reinforcing silence around sexuality education. Mothers’ embarrassment, fear of making mistakes, and concern that discussing sexuality might encourage inappropriate curiosity interacted with limited institutional support to produce narrow, reactive teaching. The authors emphasize that culturally […]
Perspectives of adolescent girls (10-19 years) in Mahama camp on factors affecting accessibility of contraceptive services in the camp in 2022
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and cultural expectations around adolescent sexuality substantially shape adolescent girls’ access to contraception in Mahama refugee camp. Community expectations favor abstinence before marriage and often frame contraception as appropriate only for married women. Girls therefore anticipate shame, gossip, stigma, and being labeled as sexually immoral if seen seeking contraception, discouraging […]
Condom literacy, self-efficacy, and HIV-risk behaviors: a cross-sectional analysis of adolescent girls in northwestern Botswana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Although gender and relationship norms were not independently associated with girls’ perceived ability to insist on condom use after adjustment, the discussion emphasizes that patriarchal beliefs about male power in sexual relationships may still impede girls’ ability to translate condom-use intentions into behavior. A notable minority of girls endorsed beliefs that […]