Understanding abortion-related stigma and incidence of unsafe abortion: experiences from community members in Machakos and Trans Nzoia counties Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Abortion-related stigma in Kenya is strongly reinforced by social norms that define women’s morality and social value through motherhood and sexual respectability. Women who seek abortion—especially young, unmarried women—are often labeled as immoral, “killers,” or bad influences, and are socially ostracized. This stigma is pervasive in both high- and low-incidence regions […]
Understanding how social norms affect modern contraceptive use
Key Social Norms Take-aways: A critical social norms insight from this study is that norms which discourage contraceptive use likely function primarily by decreasing women’s practical abilities (mental effort, social embarrassment, access confidence) to use contraception. This finding suggests that programs aimed at shifting social norms or mitigating their negative impacts on contraception should prioritize […]
Understanding how social norms influence access to and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Northern Nigeria
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in Northern Nigeria strongly enforce early marriage, high fertility expectations, and male authority over reproductive decisions, significantly limiting adolescents’ access to and utilization of modern contraceptive services. Norms around chastity, family honor, and fertility not only stigmatize unmarried adolescents who seek contraception but also render married adolescents—especially girls—powerless to […]
Understanding motives for intravaginal practices amongst Tanzanian and Ugandan women at high risk of HIV infection: The embodiment of social and cultural norms and well-being
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study explores how intravaginal cleansing and insertion practices among women in Tanzania and Uganda are influenced by social and cultural norms related to gender, sexuality, and morality. While the study does not use formal social norms measurement tools, it explicitly investigates how these practices are shaped by community expectations, traditional […]
The Role of Social Norm in Acceptability Attitude of Women Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Punjab, Pakistan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study confirms that social norms play a powerful role in shaping women’s acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Punjab, Pakistan. Community-level acceptance of wife-beating is one of the strongest predictors of individual women’s attitudes, indicating a deeply entrenched cultural norm that views IPV as a justified response to perceived […]
The role of social norms on adolescent family planning in rural Kilifi county, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reinforces that social norms are multi-layered and gendered. Among young women, especially those who are unmarried, affiliation with peers who use modern contraception can reduce stigma and encourage uptake. Programs should target not just individual beliefs, but also reshape community norms and leverage peer influence—particularly same-sex peer networks—to foster […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting through social networks: An intersectional analysis of the influence of gender, generation, status, and structural inequality
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Senegal, social norms surrounding FGM/C are deeply embedded in gendered ideas of morality, femininity, and social inclusion. The study shows that these norms are not monolithic but vary significantly by region, ethnicity, and social status. In South Senegal, norms linking FGM/C to marriageability, virtue, and social support remain strongly upheld, […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting: Shifting norms and practices among communities in Narok and Kisii counties, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Shifting social norms—particularly around marriageability, sexual morality, and ethnic identity—are central to understanding both persistence and change in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Narok and Kisii counties. While health risk messaging has increased public awareness, it has not substantially changed norms rooted in tradition, identity, and fear of social sanctions. […]
The role of gender inequities in women’s access to reproductive health services: A population-level study of Simiyu Region, Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores how entrenched gender norms in the Simiyu region of Tanzania severely restrict women’s and girls’ access to reproductive health services. Norms that prioritize male authority, devalue women’s autonomy, and equate female worth with childbirth reinforce systemic barriers to healthcare. Women face stigma and even violence for using family […]
The Role of Gender Norms in Shaping Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Experiences of Pregnancy and Abortion in Mozambique
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study emphasizes the need for gender-transformative approaches that do more than expand services—they must reshape the social and cultural context. Effective interventions should empower girls with knowledge and decision-making confidence, engage male partners and families as supportive allies, train healthcare providers to reduce stigma and bias, and implement whole-community initiatives […]