Contraceptive use intention and determinants among nonuser reproductive-aged married women in Ethiopia based on the theory of planned behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly perceived approval from partners and communities—play a central role in shaping contraceptive intentions. Positive subjective norms, supportive partner attitudes, and community environments that reduce stigma and encourage discussion significantly increase women’s intention to use contraception, highlighting that shifting normative climates is critical for improving reproductive autonomy and uptake. Objectives: […]
Prevalence and predictors of modern contraceptive method utilization among married couples in the pastoralist communities of Fentale district, Eastern Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly religious beliefs, gender roles, and expectations around fertility—strongly shape contraceptive use in pastoralist communities. Norms that value large families, discourage contraception on religious grounds, and reinforce male-dominated decision-making limit women’s agency. Misperceptions and community-level expectations further sustain low uptake, indicating that interventions must address normative beliefs and couple dynamics, […]
Intention to switch from short-acting to long-acting reversible contraceptives among refugee women in Ethiopia: application of the theory of planned behavior
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly perceived expectations and approval from partners, family members, and peers—play a critical role in shaping refugee women’s contraceptive decision-making. The study found that subjective norms were the strongest predictor of women’s intention to switch from short-acting contraceptives (SAC) to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). This suggests that contraceptive choices in […]
Uncovering community needs regarding violence against women and girls in southern Ethiopia: An explorative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) in southern Ethiopia is strongly shaped by social norms that normalize or tolerate certain forms of violence—especially intimate partner violence (IPV)—and place blame on survivors. Community expectations often encourage women to tolerate abuse and discourage reporting due to stigma, fear of gossip, and pressure to […]
Socio-cultural context of adolescent sexuality and youth friendly service intervention in West Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that entrenched socio-cultural and religious norms in Northwest Ethiopia strongly disapprove of premarital sex, discourage adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service use, and inhibit open communication about sexuality between adolescents and adults. While the study does not use formal social norms theory or measurements (e.g., injunctive or […]
Students and brides: a qualitative analysis of the relationship between girls’ education and early marriage in Ethiopia and India.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study reveals that persistent social norms in Ethiopia and India devalue girls’ education and prioritize early marriage, often reinforcing traditional gender roles that restrict girls’ autonomy and opportunity. These norms include beliefs that educated girls are less marriageable, that marriage should precede education, and that domestic responsibilities and motherhood outweigh […]
Challenges in Changing Social Norms: Evidence from Interventions Targeting Child Marriage in Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: This study underscores that changing social norms is possible but complex. Interventions prompted discussion and shifted some attitudes but also deepened divisions. Gender and power hierarchies remained largely intact, and future programs must anticipate resistance and support collective norm change. Objectives: This study evaluated whether social norms interventions and economic incentives […]
Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health using health communication in Ethiopia Final evaluation
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how discriminatory social norms—particularly those tied to gender roles, male dominance in decision-making, and community perceptions of appropriate behavior for girls—undermine girls’ education and bodily autonomy in Ethiopia. While individual attitudes often appear more progressive, fear of social sanctions and perceived community expectations create barriers to change. The […]
Effectiveness of curriculum-based sexual and reproductive health education on healthy sexual behaviors among year one students at Arba Minch University: A quasi-experimental study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Improvements in some individual attitudes about sexual and reproductive health were seen as contributors to normative change over time by challenging stigma and misinformation, even if collective norm shifts are not yet visible. The findings suggest that there is still a need for longer-term efforts and potentially more targeted strategies to […]
Preventing violence against refugee adolescent girls: findings from a cluster randomized controlled trial in Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The COMPASS intervention in Ethiopian refugee camps influenced social norms around gender, education, marriage, and social support, even though it did not significantly reduce violence within the 12-month evaluation period. Girls in the intervention reported more gender-equitable beliefs regarding education, marriage age, and childbearing, and had stronger social networks. These shifts […]