Changing Childbearing Norms During an Era of ART Expansion in Malawi, 2009 to 2015
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates a significant shift in community-level childbearing norms in Malawi between 2009 and 2015, particularly regarding the acceptability of parenthood for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). As access to ART expanded, societal norms evolved to become more supportive of HIV-positive childbearing, suggesting a broader process of normalization. Nonetheless, full […]
Re-conceptualising gender and power relations for sexual and reproductive health: contrasting narratives of tradition, unity, and rights
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that gender and power relations among young adults in Malawi are shaped by competing narratives—tradition, unity, and rights—each reflecting different social norms. Traditional norms emphasize male authority and women’s obedience, but participants also expressed support for more collaborative (unity) or rights-based gender relations. The concept of “power with” […]
Social norms, agency, and marriage aspirations in Malawi
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Community norms around the youngest acceptable age of marriage influence adolescent boys’ marriage aspirations but have little to no impact on girls’ aspirations. Instead, adolescents’ own beliefs about acceptable marriage age are consistently associated with when they aspire to marry. These findings suggest that while social norms matter, their influence is […]
Measuring Social Norms Related to Child Marriage Among Adult Decision-Makers of Young Girls in Phalombe and Thyolo, Malawi.
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: Boys were influenced by norms portraying them as both threats to and protectors of girls’ reputations. While some adopted more equitable attitudes, their behaviors remained shaped by dominant masculinity and family honor norms. Interventions must go beyond individual change to engage peer networks and broader community structures in shifting power and […]
Individual and community-level impact of infertility-related stigma in Malawi
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Infertility-related stigma in Malawi is deeply embedded in gendered social norms, shaping not only how infertility is understood but also how individuals are treated based on perceptions alone. Infertility, even if only suspected, disrupts normative pathways to adulthood, identity, and social status. Women are especially burdened by stigma, blamed for infertility […]
Drivers of child marriages for girls: A prospective study in a low-income African set.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This research underscores that interventions solely focused on boosting girls’ agency or spreading legal awareness are unlikely to substantially reduce child marriage rates. Instead, changing community-level social norms — especially caregivers’ and community leaders’ attitudes toward the acceptability of early marriage — and expanding girls’ real-life opportunities, particularly in education, are […]
Drivers of child marriage in specific settings of Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia – findings from the Yes I Do! baseline study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage across six countries is not just a standalone practice but a reflection of deeper social norms, especially around girls’ sexuality, family honour, and gender roles. In many cases, marriage is seen as a necessary response to prevent or cover up premarital sex or pregnancy. These norms are reinforced by […]
Discordance, Disclosure and Normative Gender Roles: Barriers to Couple Testing Within a Community-Level HIV Self-Testing Intervention in Urban Blantyre, Malawi.
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: Norms around adolescent sexuality, rather than child marriage itself, may indirectly drive early marriage. Strong empirical expectations exist, but normative expectations and sanctions are weak. Formative research is essential to challenge assumptions about prevailing norms. Quantitative data should be paired with qualitative methods for explanatory depth. Measures of normative expectations and […]
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 […]