Fertility preservation and protection: young women’s decision-making about contraceptive use in Zimbabwe
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Prevailing social norms in Zimbabwe dictate a moral and reproductive trajectory in which young women are expected to marry, prove fertility by having a child, and only then begin using hormonal contraception. These norms lead many young, nulliparous women to avoid long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), despite their availability, due to fears […]
Effectiveness of the Communities Care programme on change in social norms associated with gender-based violence (GBV) with residents in intervention compared with control districts in Mogadishu, Somalia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The evaluation of the Communities Care program in Somalia offers rigorous evidence that collective reflection and community-driven action, rather than individual attitude change alone, can influence social norms around violence, family honor, and male entitlement. It also provides a validated social norms measurement tool that can be used in future violence […]
Diffusion in social norms change about violence against women: A longitudinal analysis of intervention data from a cluster randomised trial.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the critical role of organized diffusion in shifting social norms related to intimate partner violence. The findings suggest that diffusion is particularly effective in communities with lower baseline levels of gender equity, where greater normative change is possible. By facilitating interpersonal discussions of intervention messages, the program challenged […]
“Change Really Does Need to Start From Home”: Impact of an Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Strategy Among Married Couples in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Change Starts at Home program shows that gender-transformative interventions can effectively disrupt harmful social norms that underpin intimate partner violence in patriarchal settings. Key shifts were observed in men’s attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol use, household responsibilities, spousal communication, and sexual consent. The program’s success stemmed from creating safe, gender-segregated […]
Impact of the Change Starts at Home Trial on Women’s experience of intimate partner violence in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study deepens the field’s understanding of how multicomponent communication strategies can influence gender norms and intimate partner violence in complex social environments. While the Change Starts at Home trial did not demonstrate a community-level reduction in intimate partner violence, it showed that intensive engagement through structured discussion groups can shift […]
Changing the River’s Flow – A Gender Transformative Programme for Young People (CTRF4YP)
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This evaluation demonstrates that gender-transformative, community-based interventions can catalyze shifts in deeply embedded norms around gender roles, violence, and sexual relationships. The intervention’s focus on community dialogue and inclusion of both men and women led to increased openness in discussing gender-based violence, reduced stigma around survivors, and new expectations around spousal […]
C’est la Vie!: Mixed Impacts of an Edutainment Television Series in West Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study finds that edutainment programming like C’est La Vie! (CLV) can shift social norms around contraception and gender equity, particularly when exposure is sustained and integrated across media. It highlights that norms are more likely to shift when multiple layers of influence—media messages, interpersonal discussions, and community attitudes—align. Social norms […]
Measuring impact of storyline engagement on health knowledge, attitudes, and norms: a digital evaluation of an online health-focused serial drama in West Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study illustrates how digital entertainment-education content like C’est La Vie! (CLV) can influence health-related social norms in West Africa. Specifically, the show helped shift norms regarding female circumcision, emergency contraception, and sexual assault, with higher engagement levels leading to more pro-health attitudes. Importantly, different storylines had varying levels of impact, […]
The Influence of Organised Diffusion on Social Norms Change: Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study provides compelling evidence that organized diffusion can effectively promote social norms change around intimate partner violence in contexts where such violence is widely accepted. The intervention successfully disrupted harmful norms by facilitating the sharing of new attitudes and behaviors across social networks. Changes in gender roles, spousal communication, and […]
Understanding family planning outcomes in northwestern Nigeria: analysis and modeling of social and behavior change factors
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms supporting high fertility, male-dominated decision-making, and contraceptive myths strongly shape family planning behaviors in this setting. Interventions must go beyond individual-level change to also address relational dynamics, especially fostering joint decision-making and male engagement, and create enabling environments that support women’s autonomy and challenge entrenched gender roles. Objectives: This […]