Do Community-Based Livelihood Interventions Affect Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in Slum Areas of Uganda: A Difference-in-Difference with Kernel Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: While the intervention did not explicitly use social norms theory, it provides clear evidence of injunctive norms—what individuals believe others expect—related to gender, sexual behavior, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Survey items captured expectations around sexual agency, gender-based violence, and contraceptive responsibility. The intervention led to a decline […]
The influence of gender-equitable attitudes on sexual behaviour among unmarried adolescents in rural Tanzania: a longitudinal study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study explores how both individual and community-level gender-equitable attitudes influence adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in rural Tanzania. Gender-equitable attitudes were measured using the Gender-Equitable Men (GEM) scale, both at the individual level and aggregated to the village level to capture perceived community norms. The study found […]
Shifting gender norms to improve HIV service uptake: Qualitative findings from a large-scale community mobilization intervention in rural South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around HIV testing and treatment—particularly those tied to stigma, secrecy, and gendered power—are significant barriers to service uptake for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa. The Tsima intervention showed that transforming these norms—by promoting open communication, supportive male involvement, and reframing testing as a collective responsibility—can […]
Gaining traction: Promising shifts in gender norms and intimate partner violence in the context of a community-based HIV prevention trial in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that community mobilization efforts that target harmful gender norms—such as male dominance, IPV tolerance, and communication taboos—can lead to measurable shifts in attitudes, behaviors, and relationship dynamics. Norms change was facilitated by improved access to gender-equitable messages through media, and greater openness in couple communication, helping to reshape […]
How is media content and outreach supporting young Zambians to make sexual and reproductive health decisions?
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Tikambe’s multi-platform approach—combining media content with peer-led outreach—successfully engaged with harmful gender and social norms around adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Zambia. While the project did not explicitly use formal social norms theory, it clearly targeted perceived social expectations around decision-making, contraceptive use, and parent–child communication. These […]
‘Poverty can break a home’: Exploring mechanisms linking cash plus programming and intimate partner violence in Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how deeply entrenched gender norms around male authority, women’s subservience, and family roles shape both the occurrence and acceptability of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ghana. While the LEAP 1000 cash-plus program reduced IPV through economic security, conflict reduction, and women’s empowerment, the normative context—particularly around gender roles […]
Family Factors and Gender Norms as Protective Factors Against Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms, particularly traditional gender expectations that discourage premarital sex, may serve as a form of informal social control that deters sexual risk-taking. These norms, reinforced through close family bonds and socialized gender roles, play a critical role in adolescent girls’ behavioral choices. However, while traditional norms may have protective effects, […]
Gender Norms, Beliefs and Academic Achievement of Orphaned Adolescent Boys and Girls in Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores how entrenched gender norms favoring boys continue to disadvantage orphaned adolescent girls in Uganda’s education system. Despite holding more egalitarian beliefs themselves, girls face societal and familial biases that prioritize boys’ academic success. Encouragingly, adolescents exposed to more gender-equitable beliefs—especially girls—were associated with better academic performance, suggesting that […]
Extracurricular School-Based Social Change Communication Program Associated with Reduced HIV Infection Among Young Women in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the potential of extracurricular, school-based interventions to shift social norms related to sexual behavior and health among young women. The Soul Buddyz Clubs fostered collective action, built self-esteem, and emphasized responsible health behaviors—components that appear to influence norms around condom use and sexual partnerships. The intervention’s emphasis on […]
Effectiveness of the Sista2Sista programme in improving HIV and other sexual and reproductive health outcomes among vulnerable adolescent girls and young women in Zimbabwe
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Sista2Sista programme demonstrates that peer group interventions rooted in dialogue, mentorship, and community involvement can influence social norms related to sexual health, education, and gender-based violence among adolescent girls and young women. The program’s emphasis on self-awareness, communication, gender and power, and rights-based decision-making helped shift individual attitudes and behaviors, […]