Gender norms, contraceptive use, and intimate partner violence: A six-country analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This cross-country study demonstrates that gender-related attitudes, used as proxies for gender norms, and couple power dynamics are important correlates of contraceptive use and intimate partner violence (IPV). Joint decision-making within couples—particularly regarding major household purchases—was consistently associated with greater modern contraceptive use and, in some settings, lower IPV, suggesting that […]
Role of husband’s attitude towards the usage of contraceptives for unmet need of family planning among married women of reproductive age in Pakistan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that unmet need for family planning (UMNFP) in Pakistan is shaped not only by individual or household characteristics but also by gendered social norms embedded within patriarchal decision-making. Husbands’ opposition to contraception, male control over reproductive decisions, and perceived religious prohibitions were among the strongest predictors of UMNFP. […]
Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence in Pakistan: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adherence to patriarchal norms—particularly the justification of wife beating—emerges as the strongest and most consistent predictor of women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Pakistan. These norms reflect deeply embedded societal expectations that legitimize male control and violence, indicating that shifts in social norms are critical for reducing IPV beyond […]
Social Dominance, Sexual Double Standards, and Violence Against Women in Tight and Loose Cultures.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Sexual double standards function as powerful social norms and “legitimizing myths” that justify gender inequality and violence against women across both tight and loose cultural contexts. Even where norms differ in strictness (e.g., Pakistan vs. U.S.), the underlying normative processes linking hierarchy, gendered expectations, and acceptance of violence are strikingly similar. […]
The Role of Social Norm in Acceptability Attitude of Women Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Punjab, Pakistan.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that social norms at the community level strongly shape individual attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV). When wife-beating is perceived as a common and accepted norm within a community, women are significantly more likely to justify IPV themselves, highlighting the powerful role of collective expectations in sustaining harmful […]
Women’s Agency as Reason for Life Threats Among the Pashtuns in Pakistan: Narratives of Women Fleeing Honor Killing and Masculine Domination.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms tied to honor (izzat) and masculinity (ghairat) function as powerful regulatory mechanisms that legitimize violence against women who deviate from expected gender roles. The study highlights that threats of honor killing are not simply individual acts of violence but are socially sanctioned responses to perceived norm violations, particularly when […]
Variability in Reproductive Choices: A Comprehensive Analysis of Women’s Working Status and Fertility Behavior in Pakistan.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights that women’s reproductive choices are shaped not only by employment status but also by underlying gender norms and cultural expectations around women’s roles, autonomy, and family planning. Greater workforce participation is associated with increased decision-making power and autonomy, suggesting that shifts in norms around women’s economic roles can […]
Daughters-in-law’s perceptions and experiences with MILAP, a family-based intervention to reduce intimate partner violence and improve mental health in Nepal
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Social norms embedded in multigenerational households—particularly hierarchical gender norms granting authority to mothers-in-law and husbands—play a central role in shaping women’s autonomy, exposure to IPV, and mental health. The intervention demonstrates that shifting intra-family norms around communication, respect, decision-making, and women’s mobility can reduce violence and improve well-being. Importantly, norms change […]
Feasibility and acceptability of a life skills and reproductive health empowerment intervention for young newly married women in Rajasthan, India: a pre-post convergent mixed methods pilot study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Restrictive gender norms—particularly expectations around early childbearing, limited female autonomy, and deference to marital households—shape newly married women’s reproductive health behaviors; however, this study shows that participatory, life-skills-based interventions can begin to shift these norms by strengthening women’s agency, communication, and social support networks. The study suggests that addressing norms indirectly—through […]
Preparing for constructive engagement with men’s resistance to gender equality messaging: lessons from an intimate partner violence prevention programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Men’s resistance to gender equality messaging is not simply opposition but reflects active negotiation of social norms. These resistance “scripts” both reinforce existing patriarchal norms and create openings for dialogue and incremental change. Social norms around male authority, respect, and acceptable violence remain deeply embedded, but the process of contestation—especially in […]