‘The School Was Closed, So When They Brought Me A Husband I Couldn’t Say No’: Exploring the Gendered Experiences of Child Marriage Amongst Adolescent Girls and Boys in Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms deeply influence marriage decisions, especially those related to gender roles and adulthood. For girls, early marriage is often expected and seen as a path to social acceptance. For boys, marriage can be a way to prove maturity and secure social status. These expectations are reinforced by families, peers, and […]
“Potential of organizing unmarried adolescent girls and young women into self-help groups for a better transition to adulthood: Findings from a cross-sectional study in India”
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how gender norms and structural inequalities restrict adolescent girls’ and young women’s (AGYW) agency in rural India. Social norms that limit girls’ mobility, financial autonomy, and decision-making power are significant barriers. However, organizing AGYW into self-help groups (YWSHGs) creates a platform that enables shifts in these norms. Girls […]
“Social institutions as mediating sites for changing gender norms: Nurturing girls’s resilience to child marriage in Uganda:
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms in the study communities positioned girls primarily as future wives and mothers, reinforcing early marriage. However, these same norms can be transformed. The study highlights the importance of working with female relatives, senior women teachers, and school-based programming to shift gender expectations, nurture girls’ aspirations, and reduce the social […]
“Trading daughters for livestock”: An ethnographic study of facilitators of child marriage in Lira district, Northern Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how child marriage in Northern Uganda is deeply driven by harmful gender norms that view girls as economic assets. Norms prioritizing boys’ education and associating girls’ worth with bride price and reproductive roles fuel early marriage. Girls are considered ready for marriage at puberty, and families commonly see […]
“We Don’t Fear HIV. We Just Fear Walking around Pregnant.”: A Qualitative Analysis of Adolescent Sexuality and Pregnancy Stigma in Informal Settlements in Kisumu, Kenya.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Kisumu, Kenya, adolescent girls face intense social stigma around sexuality and pregnancy, with pregnancy seen as the most feared and shame-inducing consequence of sexual activity. Unlike HIV—which is viewed as treatable—pregnancy visibly signals sexual behavior and attracts harsh judgment from families, communities, and healthcare providers. These stigmas suppress open dialogue, […]
“He is suitable for her, of course he is our relative”: a qualitative exploration of the drivers and implications of child marriage in Gezira State
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage in this context is upheld by deeply rooted beliefs about gender, honour, and religion. Real change will require engaging religious leaders, men, and entire communities to challenge the idea that girls’ futures are determined by others. Programs must prioritize girls’ voices and promote their right to make informed choices […]
Men’s Perpetration of Partner Violence in Bangladesh: Community Gender Norms and Violence in Childhood
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the powerful yet complex role of community gender norms in shaping men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh. Norms held by senior men—those aged 35–49, often household heads and community influencers—set expectations for masculinity and marital conduct. In communities where senior men endorsed more equitable gender […]
Beyond the statistic: Exploring the process of early marriage decision-making using qualitative findings from Ethiopia and India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around marriage readiness based on physical maturity rather than age, limited roles for unmarried girls, and pressure from elders and peers sustain early marriage in Ethiopia and India. Legal deterrents are often ineffective compared to strong social sanctions. Girls’ voice and agency are constrained, especially in socially vulnerable contexts. […]
Child marriage in Ghana: evidence from a multi-media study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms play a critical role in sustaining child marriage in Ghana. Norms around female sexuality, family honor, and economic survival reinforce early marriage. Practices such as betrothal, exchange of girls, and pressure from elders and peers reflect deeply entrenched beliefs about girls’ roles and value. Interventions must focus on norm […]