The Role of Social Norm in Acceptability Attitude of Women Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Punjab, Pakistan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study confirms that social norms play a powerful role in shaping women’s acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Punjab, Pakistan. Community-level acceptance of wife-beating is one of the strongest predictors of individual women’s attitudes, indicating a deeply entrenched cultural norm that views IPV as a justified response to perceived […]
The role of social norms on adolescent family planning in rural Kilifi county, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reinforces that social norms are multi-layered and gendered. Among young women, especially those who are unmarried, affiliation with peers who use modern contraception can reduce stigma and encourage uptake. Programs should target not just individual beliefs, but also reshape community norms and leverage peer influence—particularly same-sex peer networks—to foster […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting through social networks: An intersectional analysis of the influence of gender, generation, status, and structural inequality
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Senegal, social norms surrounding FGM/C are deeply embedded in gendered ideas of morality, femininity, and social inclusion. The study shows that these norms are not monolithic but vary significantly by region, ethnicity, and social status. In South Senegal, norms linking FGM/C to marriageability, virtue, and social support remain strongly upheld, […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting: Shifting norms and practices among communities in Narok and Kisii counties, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Shifting social norms—particularly around marriageability, sexual morality, and ethnic identity—are central to understanding both persistence and change in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Narok and Kisii counties. While health risk messaging has increased public awareness, it has not substantially changed norms rooted in tradition, identity, and fear of social sanctions. […]
The role of gender inequities in women’s access to reproductive health services: A population-level study of Simiyu Region, Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores how entrenched gender norms in the Simiyu region of Tanzania severely restrict women’s and girls’ access to reproductive health services. Norms that prioritize male authority, devalue women’s autonomy, and equate female worth with childbirth reinforce systemic barriers to healthcare. Women face stigma and even violence for using family […]
The Role of Gender Norms in Shaping Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Experiences of Pregnancy and Abortion in Mozambique
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study emphasizes the need for gender-transformative approaches that do more than expand services—they must reshape the social and cultural context. Effective interventions should empower girls with knowledge and decision-making confidence, engage male partners and families as supportive allies, train healthcare providers to reduce stigma and bias, and implement whole-community initiatives […]
The influence of perceived behaviour control, attitude and empowerment on reported condom use and intention to use condoms among adolescents in rural Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—including peer and community expectations, gender dynamics, and religious views—exert indirect but powerful influence on adolescents’ sexual behaviors in rural Tanzania. Although subjective norms were not statistically significant predictors in this study, the broader social environment shaped young people’s sense of agency, their ability to negotiate condom use, and the […]
The relationship between Nairobi adolescents’ media use and their sexual beliefs and attitudes.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores the importance of recognizing how adolescents’ exposure to media shapes their ideas of what is “normal” sexual behavior among peers and reinforces gender stereotypes. Efforts to address sexual health and reduce risk-taking among youth should include media literacy approaches that help adolescents critically engage with the sexual norms […]
The Relationship Between Parental Mediation of Adolescent Media Use and Ugandan Adolescents’ Sexual Attitudes and Behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that in Uganda, adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behaviors are shaped not only by media content but also by the social context in which media is consumed. Watching media—particularly sexual content—with opposite-sex peers was associated with more permissive attitudes toward casual sex. Parental efforts to limit media exposure, a […]
Stigma as a barrier to family planning use among married youth in Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Anticipated stigma—driven by social norms around gender, fertility, and youth behavior—emerges as a significant barrier to family planning (FP) use among married youth in Ethiopia. Community expectations that young brides should prove their fertility, along with fears of judgment from providers, family, and community members, create an environment where seeking FP […]