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 […]
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 […]
Can the law affect attitudes and behavior in the absence of strict enforcement? Experimental evidence from a child marriage reform in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Takeaways: The study shows that formal laws can interact with entrenched social norms in complex and sometimes counterproductive ways. In contexts where child marriage is strongly supported by community norms and customary authorities, stricter laws may trigger backlash rather than compliance. Instead of shifting norms toward delayed marriage, legal changes—especially when perceived […]
She Is a Guest in My House: Exploring the Barriers to Asset Development and Decision-Making Autonomy Among Young Women in Southern Uganda
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Deeply entrenched patriarchal social norms in Southern Uganda—reinforced through family systems, cultural expectations, and institutional practices—systematically restrict young women’s access to assets and decision-making power. Norms positioning women as dependent “guests” in their husbands’ homes and prioritizing men as providers and decision-makers shape both structural opportunities and individual agency. Critically, the […]
Impact of a multilevel HIV prevention programme on adolescent girls and young women’s empowerment for risk reduction: A mixed methods evaluation in Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study shows that gender norms are central to HIV risk and to the DREAMS theory of change, particularly norms around male authority, female submissiveness, stigma toward girls’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service use, and acceptance of violence. While DREAMS contributed to changes in girls’ confidence, aspirations, and peer support, […]
Evaluating the Impact of the “Gender Equity Movement in Schools” (GEMS) Intervention on Gender Knowledge and Attitudes Among Male Adolescents in Bangladesh: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Study.
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Gender norms among adolescent boys are shaped by a complex interplay of school-based interventions, family environments, peer influence, and media exposure. While structured programs like GEMS can challenge inequitable norms, deeply embedded social norms—especially those reinforced within households—can limit attitudinal change. Norm change is gradual and requires consistent exposure, reflection, and […]
Developmental Trajectories of Transactional Sex and Age-Disparate Relationships During Adolescence: An HPTN 068 Analysis.
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Social norms—particularly inequitable gender norms—play a central role in shaping adolescents’ engagement in transactional sex and age-disparate relationships. These norms influence power dynamics, expectations of male provision, and girls’ ability to negotiate safer relationships. The study highlights that early exposure to inequitable norms and structural vulnerabilities (e.g., poverty, IPV) reinforces sustained […]