A qualitative study of adolescent girls’ experiences of menarche and menstruation in rural Tamil Nadu, India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals how adolescent girls’ experiences of menarche and menstruation in rural Tamil Nadu are deeply shaped by cultural codes and gender norms. While the study does not use formal social norms measurement tools, it explicitly explores how norms are constructed, maintained, and reproduced through social practices, especially those related […]
Changing the Script: Intergenerational Communication about Sexual and Reproductive Health in Niamey, Niger
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms discourage discussion of sexuality and FP with youth, but shared community values—especially protecting youth and promoting well-being—can be leveraged to shift behaviors. Objectives: This study explored how social norms and values shape communication between adults and unmarried youth about family planning (FP) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in […]
What Influences Girls’ Age at Marriage in Burkina Faso and Tanzania? Exploring the Contribution of Individual, Household, and Community Level Factors
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores how social norms—particularly community expectations regarding girls’ age at marriage and parental fears of premarital sex—play a significant role in shaping the prevalence of child marriage, with notable variation by context. In Burkina Faso, social norms among fathers regarding later marriage were significantly associated with lower child marriage […]
Who’s that girl? A qualitative analysis of adolescent girls’ views on factors associated with teenage pregnancies in Bolgatanga, Ghana.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights how social norms around adolescent sexuality and contraception—especially beliefs that family planning is only for married women and that boys should be responsible for condom procurement—shape young women’s sexual decision-making. While many girls exhibited strong agency, clear future goals, and negotiation skills around condom use, normative stigma surrounding […]
Women’s Work, Gender Roles, and Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how prevailing gender norms—particularly male approval of wife beating and male dominance in household decision-making—shape the relationship between women’s economic participation and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria. Women’s employment, especially in contexts where traditional gender norms are strongly upheld, may increase their risk of IPV, suggesting that […]
You are looked upon as a luxury tool: Young Tanzanian women’s perception of community norms supporting partner violence during transactional sex
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The article highlights that harmful gender norms — including the normalization of male control and violence, the double standards around women’s sexuality, and the stigma against transactional sex — underpin women’s vulnerability in kudanga relationships. Addressing these social norms through community-wide engagement, shifting gender power dynamics, and reducing stigma is essential […]
Understanding reference groups for norms and behaviour change: the intersection of relationship dynamics and family planning
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how reference groups—trusted individuals who influence beliefs and behaviors—shape social and gender norms related to family planning and relationship dynamics in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Godparents, pastors, friends, and health workers each influence norms in different ways and with varying effectiveness across topics. Some actors provide […]
Understanding the Psychosocial Correlates of the Intention to Use Condoms among Young Men in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—especially the perceived expectations of peers and elders—strongly influence young men’s condom use intentions. Changing these norms is key to improving safer sex practices. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the psychosocial factors influencing young men’s intentions to use condoms consistently in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It focused on how social […]
Understanding the Sociality of Child Marriage
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that social norms—especially those surrounding gender roles, dowry, and the perceived value of girls—play a more influential role than economic factors in shaping attitudes and decisions around girls’ education and child marriage in India. Mothers, in particular, often internalize and reproduce norms prioritizing domestic roles and early marriage […]
Use of digital media for family planning information by women and their social networks in Kenya: A qualitative study in peri-urban Nairobi
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that digital media can offer safer, more discreet avenues for young women in Kenya to access and share family planning (FP) information, especially where in-person discussions are constrained by stigma and gender norms. Social norms around gender significantly influence comfort levels in discussing FP online, with women preferring […]