Eat and you will be eaten’: A qualitative study exploring costs and benefits of age-disparate sexual relationships in Tanzania and Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Age-disparate sexual relationships among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Tanzania and Uganda are shaped by entrenched social and gender norms that normalize transactional sex and male dominance while limiting girls’ agency. The expression “eat and you will be eaten” reflects a widespread expectation that accepting gifts or money from […]
Does girls’ empowerment predict contraceptive intentions? Evidence from a survey of secondary school girls in Northwest Nigeria
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores that social norms around fertility, marriage, and gender roles interact with personal empowerment in complex ways. Even when girls hold progressive beliefs, they remain constrained by prevailing community norms and fears—especially about infertility and social judgment. To shift intentions and behaviors, interventions must not only improve individual knowledge […]
Drivers of child marriage in specific settings of Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia – findings from the Yes I Do! baseline study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage across six countries is not just a standalone practice but a reflection of deeper social norms, especially around girls’ sexuality, family honour, and gender roles. In many cases, marriage is seen as a necessary response to prevent or cover up premarital sex or pregnancy. These norms are reinforced by […]
Drivers of child marriages for girls: A prospective study in a low-income African set.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This research underscores that interventions solely focused on boosting girls’ agency or spreading legal awareness are unlikely to substantially reduce child marriage rates. Instead, changing community-level social norms — especially caregivers’ and community leaders’ attitudes toward the acceptability of early marriage — and expanding girls’ real-life opportunities, particularly in education, are […]
Correlates of condom use and condom-use motivation among young South Africans
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around gender roles, trust in relationships, and HIV-related beliefs significantly influence condom use motivation among adolescents in South Africa. The study highlights how condom use is not just a health behavior but a socially situated act, interpreted through norms about fidelity, respect, and masculinity. Beliefs that condom use implies […]
Community perceptions of rape and child sexual abuse: a qualitative study in rural Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in rural Tanzania normalize and perpetuate sexual violence against women and children by reinforcing male dominance, stigmatizing survivors, and framing rape as a private or shameful matter, especially when committed by known perpetrators. These norms discourage reporting, hinder access to justice and healthcare, and silence survivors. The study highlights […]
Contextualized theory-based predictors of intention to practice monogamy among adolescents in Botswana junior secondary schools: Results of focus group sessions and a cross-sectional study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly those rooted in proverbs, stories, and language—play a powerful role in shaping adolescents’ intentions regarding monogamy in Botswana. Patriarchal norms that valorize male sexual freedom and stigmatize monogamy as a sign of weakness or bewitchment create significant barriers to behaviour change. This study shows that incorporating socio-cultural beliefs into […]
Community Gender Norms and Gender Gaps in Adolescent Agency in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that community-level gender norms significantly shape adolescent agency and gender gaps in Nepal. In communities with more gender-equitable norms, adolescent girls show greater gains in intrinsic and instrumental agency compared to boys, reversing or narrowing traditional gender gaps. However, these norms are not uniformly associated with all forms […]
Changing Social Norms in Somalia: Baseline Report on CHANGES Project Addressing Women Empowerment, Female Circumcision and Early Marriage
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The CHANGES baseline shows that while harmful practices like female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage remain prevalent in Somalia, there is a mismatch between people’s perceptions and actual behaviors. Many overestimate child marriage rates and underestimate opposition to FGM/C. This gap presents a key opportunity for social norms change—interventions must […]
Beliefs About Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Adolescents in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows how social norms that reinforce male dominance and tolerance of sexual coercion contribute to the perpetration of sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents in South Africa. Boys were more likely than girls to perpetrate and experience sexual IPV and perceived greater social approval from peers and family […]