Prevention of violence against women and girls: A cost-effectiveness study across 6 low- and middle-income countries
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that community-based interventions designed to change harmful gender norms and social norms around violence are among the most cost-effective strategies for preventing violence against women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. The findings highlight that investing in proven social norms interventions can improve population health, although additional […]
“You are a child and this is not your business”: Decision-making on child marriage in Sindh, Pakistan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage in rural Sindh is sustained by social norms that view girls as financial burdens, expect obedience to parents, restrict girls to domestic roles, and frame early marriage as protection against premarital relationships and threats to family honor. The study argues that lasting change requires engaging parents, empowering youth, and […]
Assessing the Role of Sex and Gender Norms in Peer Violence Trends During Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study From Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms—particularly unequal expectations about sexual and romantic behavior for boys versus girls—may shape adolescents’ vulnerability to peer violence differently by sex. More unequal sexual double standard perceptions were associated with greater peer violence, particularly the overlap of victimization and perpetration among girls. The authors argue that gender-transformative approaches should address […]
Uneven progress: trends and social inequalities in women’s empowerment domains in Ghana from 2003-2022
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Ghana has made substantial progress in women’s rejection of norms that justify intimate partner violence, suggesting meaningful normative change, but this progress has not translated evenly into other dimensions of women’s empowerment. The discussion emphasizes that restrictive gender norms and household power relations continue to constrain decision-making, particularly among disadvantaged groups. […]
Menarche as a silent transition: Islamic modesty norms, mother-daughter communication, and menstrual readiness among rural Indonesian adolescents.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Islamic modesty norms shape menstrual readiness by influencing whether, how, and how openly menstruation is discussed. Silence around menstruation was not simply an information gap but a socially meaningful practice associated with religious identity, femininity, modesty, and moral conduct. Importantly, adolescents did not reject Islamic values; rather, they wanted emotionally supportive […]
Mothers’ practices and barriers in sexuality education for adolescents with intellectual disabilities
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Cultural taboos and stigma surrounding sexuality strongly shaped mothers’ attitudes and practices, discouraging open discussion and reinforcing silence around sexuality education. Mothers’ embarrassment, fear of making mistakes, and concern that discussing sexuality might encourage inappropriate curiosity interacted with limited institutional support to produce narrow, reactive teaching. The authors emphasize that culturally […]
Perspectives of adolescent girls (10-19 years) in Mahama camp on factors affecting accessibility of contraceptive services in the camp in 2022
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and cultural expectations around adolescent sexuality substantially shape adolescent girls’ access to contraception in Mahama refugee camp. Community expectations favor abstinence before marriage and often frame contraception as appropriate only for married women. Girls therefore anticipate shame, gossip, stigma, and being labeled as sexually immoral if seen seeking contraception, discouraging […]
Condom literacy, self-efficacy, and HIV-risk behaviors: a cross-sectional analysis of adolescent girls in northwestern Botswana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Although gender and relationship norms were not independently associated with girls’ perceived ability to insist on condom use after adjustment, the discussion emphasizes that patriarchal beliefs about male power in sexual relationships may still impede girls’ ability to translate condom-use intentions into behavior. A notable minority of girls endorsed beliefs that […]
Parental and Adolescent Factors predicting Protective Sexual Behaviors among In-School Adolescents: A Positive Deviance Explanation
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Peer sexual norms are an important influence on adolescents’ protective sexual behaviors. Adolescents who perceived their peers as more accepting of sexual activity were less likely to abstain or practice safer sex. The discussion further emphasizes that these peer influences operate within broader gendered norms: girls may face unequal sanctions for […]
Explaining the attitude-behavior gap in adolescent sexual and reproductive health service utilization: A cognitive dissonance perspective from rural Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adolescents’ favorable attitudes toward sexual and reproductive health services do not necessarily translate into use when stigma, anticipated judgment, misinformation, and peer influence reinforce non-use. The discussion emphasizes that social norms interact with psychological and structural barriers: fear of being labeled promiscuous or irresponsible can justify avoiding services, while reliance on […]