The interplay of economic shocks and cultural practices in child marriage: Comparative evidence from India and Zambia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage is shaped by the interaction of restrictive gender norms, cultural marriage practices, and economic conditions rather than economic hardship alone. The discussion emphasizes that inequitable norms prioritizing girls’ roles as wives and household caretakers can limit investment in girls’ education and future opportunities, increasing vulnerability to marriage when crises […]
Drivers of adolescent pregnancy in rural Zambia: a qualitative study in Kalabo District, Western Province
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adolescent pregnancy in rural Kalabo, Zambia, is shaped by intersecting gender norms, cultural expectations, economic pressures, and institutional barriers rather than individual behavior alone. The discussion emphasizes that the sikenge initiation rite reinforces expectations of obedience, domestic responsibility, marriage, and fertility, linking womanhood and family respectability to motherhood and limiting girls’ […]
Unveiling Adolescent Boys’ Perceptions of Menstruation: A Qualitative Study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Menstrual stigma among adolescent boys is reinforced through social silence, gender roles, peer interactions, and cultural and religious practices. Boys observed menstrual restrictions within families—such as prohibitions on prayer, cooking, and household activities—often without receiving explanations, which can lead them to internalize menstruation as impure or shameful. Parents’ and teachers’ reluctance […]
Experiences and actions taken by women to address delayed conception in Delhi, India: A qualitative study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social expectations surrounding motherhood strongly shaped women’s experiences of delayed conception and their responses to it. Women described internalizing conventional gender roles that positioned childbearing as central to women’s social value, while family and community expectations to conceive soon after marriage created pressure, stigma, and blame. These expectations encouraged women to […]
An intersectional analysis of social norms affecting adolescent access to sexual and reproductive health services in rural Tanzania.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms shape adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health services through intersecting systems of gender, age, economic inequality, religion, and geography. Girls—particularly those who are older, poor, rural, or from conservative religious households—experience compounded stigma, moral policing, restricted agency, and barriers to care, while boys often receive greater social tolerance. […]
Perspectives on post-violence support-seeking and service provision among adolescent girls and young women: Insights from community conversations in Lusaka, Zambia.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and gender norms strongly shape whether adolescent girls and young women seek support after violence and how families, communities, and institutions respond. Norms emphasizing silence, secrecy, endurance of violence, preservation of marriage, and communal harmony can discourage disclosure and formal help-seeking, particularly for violence within marriage. However, participants also described […]
Examining Trajectories of Peer Violence Experiences and Their Association with Gender Norms and Agency Among Adolescents: Evidence from China, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Unequal gender norms were associated with adolescents’ peer violence trajectories, but relationships varied substantially across settings. Sexual double standards showed the most consistent associations: more unequal perceptions predicted several higher-risk violence trajectories, suggesting that beliefs that permit different behaviors for boys and girls may contribute to violence. The discussion emphasizes that […]
Teenage Pregnancy and Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Marriage and Pregnancy: Primary Data Analysis in Akatsi North, Ghana.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Peer influence and gender norms are important social drivers of adolescents’ attitudes toward marriage and pregnancy. Peer pressure emerged as the strongest influence on preferences for earlier marriage and childbearing, while more gender-equitable attitudes—particularly valuing university education equally for girls and boys—were associated with delaying marriage. The discussion emphasizes that social […]
Factors Influencing Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among Married Women: A Multilevel Analysis Across 20 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Acceptance of intimate partner violence reflects patriarchal gender norms that can normalize violence against women. Women surveyed between 2019 and 2022 were substantially less likely to justify intimate partner violence than those in earlier surveys, which the authors suggest may reflect shifting social norms and greater awareness. Education and women’s decision-making […]
Barriers and facilitators to community-based, peer-led sexual and reproductive health intervention for adolescent girls and young women in northeastern Uganda: A qualitative study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms are central to whether adolescent girls and young women can safely participate in sexual and reproductive health programs. Community expectations around adolescent sexuality, contraception, fertility, and early childbearing create anticipated social sanctions—including being labeled “spoilt” or sexually active—that can lead girls to self-censor and avoid services. These norms are […]