Gender norms, poverty and armed conflict in Cote D’Ivoire: engaging men in womens social and economic empowerment programming
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores that addressing social norms about masculinity, power, and gender roles is crucial when designing interventions to reduce IPV. In contexts where men’s sense of identity is tightly linked to their economic role, programs must thoughtfully challenge inequitable norms while supporting men and women together. Combining economic empowerment with […]
Young Adolescents’ Endorsement of Restrictive Gender Norms: Evidence From a Community-Based Intervention in Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that targeting adult stakeholders through community-based norms diffusion can effectively reduce young adolescents’ endorsement of restrictive gender norms—particularly among boys. It highlights that gender attitudes during early adolescence are strongly shaped by peers, families, and broader social contexts, and that community-level interventions can shift these attitudes when they […]
Determining the most significant changes on intergenerational communication and young people’s family planning and reproductive health outcomes: Qualitative evaluation of the Merci Mon Héros media campaign in Niger and Cote d’Ivoire
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study directly explored social norms by examining how community members perceived changes in what people believe should be done (injunctive norms) and what others are doing (descriptive norms) regarding adolescent reproductive health and intergenerational communication. It found early evidence of shifting norms: adults and youth described increased comfort and empathy […]
Evaluating a youth-designed sexual and reproductive health mass and social media campaign in Cote d’Ivoire: triangulation of three independent evaluations
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that youth-led storytelling can shift harmful social norms around adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) by breaking taboos and modeling supportive adult-youth communication. The Merci Mon Héros (MMH) campaign highlighted how personal narratives and public expressions of gratitude can challenge stigma, encourage open dialogue, and promote new, positive […]
Estimating the Cost of the Design, Production, and Dissemination of Social Media Videos for Social and Behavioral Change: Evidence From Merci Mon Héros in Niger and Côte d’Ivoire
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the role of youth-led media in challenging taboos and social norms around reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP) in Francophone West Africa. By sharing personal stories and thanking supportive adults, the Merci Mon Héros (MMH) videos promoted open intergenerational communication, helping to normalize RH conversations. The campaign […]
Monitoring the quality assurance branding campaign Confiance Totale in Côte d’Ivoire
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Confiance Totale campaign effectively influenced social norms related to family planning by leveraging mass media to challenge misperceptions about peer behaviors and build trust in healthcare providers. The campaign’s ideational approach shifted both descriptive and injunctive norms, particularly among women, and encouraged greater partner communication and decision-making autonomy. These changes […]
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, […]
Cross-national and multilevel correlates of partner violence: an analysis of data from population-based surveys
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms justifying wife beating and endorsing male authority over women’s behavior are strongly associated with higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). These gender norms not only influence national IPV prevalence but also modify how individual-level factors like education and employment affect women’s risk, highlighting the importance of transforming harmful norms […]
Community influences on modern contraceptive use among young women in low and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional multi-country analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms related to ideal family size, early marriage, and gender roles—particularly those that limit women’s autonomy—act as major barriers to contraceptive use. Changing these norms through community-wide interventions, education, and women’s empowerment is essential for increasing contraceptive access and supporting young women’s reproductive agency. Objectives: This study examined how community-level characteristics […]