Patriarchy and gender-inequitable attitudes as drivers of intimate partner violence against women in the central region of Ghana.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study shows that IPV in this context is not just individual behavior but part of a broader social system supported by patriarchal norms, rigid gender hierarchies, and notions of male authority. Successful prevention efforts must directly target these social norms, emphasizing community-wide change, the transformation of masculine ideals, and the […]
COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT FOR HEALTH (CSH) PROGRAMME SAFE LOVE OUTCOME EVALUATION REPORT
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Safe Love campaign provides strong evidence that mass media behavior change communication (BCC) can influence social norms related to HIV prevention, particularly around condom use, HIV testing, and perceptions of sexual behavior. Notably, the campaign shifted perceptions about community approval of condom use with casual partners and the belief that […]
The Saleema initiative in Sudan to abandon female genital mutilation: Outcomes and dose response effects
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Saleema Initiative in Sudan demonstrates the power of branding and social marketing to shift entrenched social norms supporting female genital mutilation. By promoting a new social identity around uncut girls and fostering public discourse, Saleema reduced the perception that cutting is a common or socially accepted practice. The initiative’s success […]
Application of Community Dialogue Approach to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy, Early Marriage and School Dropout in Zambia: A Case Study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the potential of community dialogue approaches to shift entrenched social norms around adolescent pregnancy, early marriage, and school dropout in Zambia. Dialogues facilitated critical reflection among parents, reduced cultural taboos around discussing sexual and reproductive health, and fostered more open parent-child communication. Despite cultural resistance to topics like […]
Congregation leader and member discussions in a church-based family strengthening, mental health promotion and HIV prevention trial: Intervention
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates how faith-based interventions influence social norms in congregational settings through increasing discussions around stigmatized or sensitive topics such as sexual health and condom use. The intervention helped normalize these conversations among both leaders and members, revealing that religious settings, when engaged thoughtfully, can become important spaces for addressing […]
Evaluation of the Responsible, Engaged, and Loving (REAL) Fathers Initiative on Physical Child Punishment and Intimate Partner Violence in Northern Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The REAL Fathers Initiative demonstrates that targeting social norms around masculinity, fatherhood, and discipline through mentoring can significantly reduce intimate partner violence and physical child punishment. The intervention worked by addressing norms that justify violence in parenting and relationships, encouraging reflection on gender roles and expanding the perceived responsibilities of fathers. […]
Effects of economic support, comprehensive sexuality education, and community dialogue on sexual behaviour: Findings from a cluster-RCT among adolescent girls in rural Zambia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates that combining economic support with community dialogue and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) can influence adolescent girls’ sexual behavior and perceptions of reproductive health, although not all effects align with intended outcomes. Notably, while these interventions improved knowledge and contraceptive use, they also paradoxically reduced perceived community support for […]
Adolescent pregnancy and social norms in Zambia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights the contradiction between restrictive norms (expecting abstinence) and permissive practices (pressuring girls into relationships for material needs). It underscores that changing adolescent pregnancy rates requires shifting harmful community-level norms, improving communication about sexuality, and promoting supportive environments where girls can access contraception without stigma. Objectives: This study aimed […]
Norms and sexual relations among adolescents in the context of an intervention trial in rural Zambia.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adolescents in rural Zambia face conflicting social norms: strong disapproval (injunctive norms) of premarital sex, contraceptive use, and open conversations about sexuality, alongside a widespread (descriptive) norm of transactional sex driven by poverty and peer influence. The RISE intervention reinforced abstinence messaging but failed to shift the restrictive norms that limit […]
A church-based intervention for families to promote mental health and prevent HIV among adolescents in rural Kenya: Results of a randomized trial
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the role of family and church-based relationships in shaping social norms around adolescent mental health and HIV prevention. The intervention fostered shifts in injunctive norms by reinforcing open communication, gender-equitable attitudes, and joint problem-solving within families. By situating the program within trusted church settings and engaging both adolescents […]