Key Social Norms Take-aways This study shows that even in highly restrictive settings, collective action and community-rooted programming can empower young women to challenge entrenched gender norms—especially those limiting female mobility and public visibility. The mentors in this program strategically negotiated their participation in public life, gradually shifting their families’ and communities’ perceptions. The social norms insight is that symbolic gender norms—particularly those around modesty, chastity, and reputation—can be contested when young women are supported to build collective agency, redefine their roles, and create new reference groups of what is considered “respectable” behavior for women in public spaces.

Objectives To examine how a group of young female mentors navigated and challenged restrictive gender and mobility norms while implementing a sports-based empowerment program for adolescent girls in a conservative Mumbai slum.

Methods The study employed a prospective qualitative research design. Data were drawn from two rounds of in-depth interviews with 10 female mentors (aged 18–24) over the course of the program. Thematic and narrative analysis was used to explore how mentors negotiated mobility and visibility in both domestic and community settings, with attention to shifting gender identities and social relations.

Intervention Details The Parivartan – Change at Play program was a sports-based intervention led by grassroots NGO Apnalaya and supported by the STRIVE research consortium. It trained young women from the slum to serve as mentors for girls aged 12–16. Mentors coached kabaddi (a contact sport) and delivered weekly sessions on gender norms, rights, and life skills over 15 months. The curriculum drew from social norms theory and aimed to normalize girls’ presence in public space. Mentors received stipends, training, and ongoing support to carry out their roles.

Results Mentors reported increased confidence, enhanced negotiation skills, and expanded freedom of movement. Through strategic bargaining with families—especially mothers—and public performance of “good work,” mentors secured greater mobility and community respect. They formed strong peer networks that helped navigate harassment and community scrutiny. However, their gains remained fragile; restrictive norms reasserted themselves in cases of marriage, male guardianship changes, or pressure from in-laws. Two mentors dropped out due to marriage-related restrictions.

Conclusions Collective, localized, and mentor-led interventions can meaningfully contest restrictive gender norms. While the mentors’ increased public presence did not fully transform normative expectations, it demonstrated that symbolic shifts are possible when young women are supported to act collectively and strategically. Sustaining gains requires broader engagement with social structures that regulate female visibility and agency.