Exploring resource scarcity and contextual influences on wellbeing among young refugees in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda: findings from a qualitative study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Inequitable gender norms—reinforced by dowry practices, expectations of sexual availability, and gendered labor roles—exacerbate the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women in humanitarian settings. These norms interact with resource scarcity to intensify exposure to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), particularly in contexts of poverty, idleness, and environmental degradation. The study […]
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 […]
Effect of justification of wife-beating on experiences of intimate partner violence among men and women in Uganda: A propensity-score matched analysis of the 2016 Demographic Health Survey data
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study confirms that acceptance of gender norms justifying wife-beating significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), especially among women. Social norms that condone male authority and violence as disciplinary tools normalize abusive behaviors and are strongly associated with higher rates of sexual, emotional, and physical IPV. These […]
Effectiveness of Potential Interventions to Change Gendered Social Norms on Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Uganda: a Causal Inference Approach.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gendered social norms that justify wife-beating are deeply ingrained and significantly influence the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Uganda. The study shows that even if entire communities reject wife-beating, the potential reduction in IPV incidence is modest—around 10 percentage points. This underscores that while transforming social norms is necessary, […]
Effects of Gender Role Beliefs on Social Connectivity and Marital Safety: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study Among Married Adolescent Girls in India.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Progressive gender role beliefs—supporting female marital choice, shared household decision-making, male involvement in childcare, and rejecting the acceptability of marital violence—are associated with improved social and digital connectivity, greater freedom of movement, and enhanced safety from marital violence among married adolescent girls. This underscores the importance of transforming restrictive gender norms […]
Empowering Women or Pleasing Men? Analyzing Male Views on Female Condom Use in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Cameroon.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Prevailing gender norms in Sub-Saharan Africa position men as the primary decision-makers in sexual relationships, significantly shaping the acceptability and use of female condoms. While female condoms are often promoted as tools for women’s empowerment, male perspectives reveal that female-initiated condom use is frequently viewed with suspicion, particularly in marital and […]
Do Sexual Partners Talk to Each Other About HIV? Exploring Factors Associated with HIV-Related Partner Communication Among Men and Women in Tanzania.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how community-level gender norms and social engagement influence communication between sexual partners about HIV risk in Tanzania. For both men and women, social engagement was positively associated with communication, while gender-equitable attitudes were particularly predictive of communication for men. Among women, discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV […]
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 […]
Developing Experimental Vignettes to Identify Gender Norms Associated With Transactional Sex for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Central Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study provides strong evidence that transactional sex among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Uganda is shaped by gender norms linking male financial provision to sexual decision-making power. Higher levels of male provision increase perceived social approval of men’s authority and sexual control within relationships, while simultaneously reducing peer […]