The role of older women in contesting norms associated with female genital mutilation/cutting in Senegambia: A factorial focus group analysis.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Senegambia is maintained through a constellation of intersecting social norms related to tradition, social hierarchy, and moral virtue, particularly among women. While often portrayed as custodians of harmful tradition, older women in Senegambia were found to be open to reassessing and renegotiating […]
The role of partners, parents and friends in shaping young women’s reproductive choices in Peri-urban Nairobi: a qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms related to female sexuality, discretion, and male authority continue to heavily influence whether and how young women use FP. Secrecy is often a survival strategy to avoid stigma or conflict. Interventions must go beyond providing FP information and instead engage entire social networks—particularly mothers, partners, and healthcare workers—to shift […]
The effect of a community based health promotion intervention to change gender norms among women in a rural community in Sri Lanka
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in this context position women as primary caregivers and homemakers, while framing male dominance, aggression, and decision-making as natural. These norms were widely accepted and normalized among women prior to the intervention. However, by linking gender norms to family health and well-being, and facilitating peer-led questioning of traditional roles, […]
The influence of perceived behaviour control, attitude and empowerment on reported condom use and intention to use condoms among adolescents in rural Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—including peer and community expectations, gender dynamics, and religious views—exert indirect but powerful influence on adolescents’ sexual behaviors in rural Tanzania. Although subjective norms were not statistically significant predictors in this study, the broader social environment shaped young people’s sense of agency, their ability to negotiate condom use, and the […]
The Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and Risky Sexual Behaviour among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how entrenched traditional gender norms at Ethiopian universities contribute to both gender-based violence (GBV) and risky sexual behaviors. Norms that associate women’s worth with submissiveness, modesty, and virginity—and that blame women for violence if they deviate from these ideals—create a campus climate where GBV is normalized and victims […]
The relationship between Nairobi adolescents’ media use and their sexual beliefs and attitudes.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores the importance of recognizing how adolescents’ exposure to media shapes their ideas of what is “normal” sexual behavior among peers and reinforces gender stereotypes. Efforts to address sexual health and reduce risk-taking among youth should include media literacy approaches that help adolescents critically engage with the sexual norms […]
The Relationship Between Parental Mediation of Adolescent Media Use and Ugandan Adolescents’ Sexual Attitudes and Behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that in Uganda, adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behaviors are shaped not only by media content but also by the social context in which media is consumed. Watching media—particularly sexual content—with opposite-sex peers was associated with more permissive attitudes toward casual sex. Parental efforts to limit media exposure, a […]
Stigma and Agency: Exploring Young Kenyan Women’s Experiences with Abortion Stigma and Individual Agency
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms associating abortion with immorality and female promiscuity continue to impose strong stigma on young women. However, rather than being solely constrained by these norms, many women actively resist them, demonstrating self-reliance and confidence. Programs aiming to reduce stigma must focus not only on shifting harmful norms but also on […]
Stigma as a barrier to family planning use among married youth in Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Anticipated stigma—driven by social norms around gender, fertility, and youth behavior—emerges as a significant barrier to family planning (FP) use among married youth in Ethiopia. Community expectations that young brides should prove their fertility, along with fears of judgment from providers, family, and community members, create an environment where seeking FP […]
Supporting contraceptive choice in self-care: qualitative exploration of beliefs and attitudes towards emergency contraceptive pills and on-demand use in Accra, Ghana and Lusaka, Zambia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that anticipated stigma—particularly among young women—linked to emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) use in Accra, Ghana and Lusaka, Zambia is rooted in social norms that conflate ECP use with promiscuity, irresponsibility, or even abortion. While most users did not actually experience stigma when accessing ECPs, fears of judgment from […]