Étude des effets de l’intervention de l’École des Maris sur les dynamiques de genre pour améliorer la santé reproductive au Niger
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This report explores the deeply rooted norms in Niger that limit women’s autonomy, particularly in decision-making around marriage, reproduction, and economic participation. Although there are many burdens associated with early and forced marriage, social norms and gender roles continue to pressure girls into early unions. Notably, while some community actors advocate […]
HIV/STI Risk-Reduction Intervention Efficacy with South African Adolescents Over 54 Months
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study provides compelling evidence that early, theory-based HIV/STI risk-reduction interventions can foster lasting shifts in sexual behaviors and the psychosocial drivers of behavior among South African adolescents. While not explicitly framed around social norms, the intervention indirectly influenced normative beliefs—particularly perceptions of parental approval and sexual negotiation self-efficacy—highlighting how targeting […]
An Entertainment-Education Initiative on Television A glimpse into production process
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The evaluation of Kyunki… Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai illustrates that long-running entertainment-education programs can contribute to shifts in social norms and health behaviors at scale, particularly when built on a robust theoretical foundation and broadcast consistently over time. The show significantly influenced collective perceptions around key reproductive, maternal, newborn, and […]
Encoded exposure and social norms in entertainment-education
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study provides empirical evidence that entertainment-education (EE) programs can influence social norms directly through audience exposure, without necessarily relying on behavior change as a mediator. It highlights the importance of “encoded exposure”—a multi-dimensional measure capturing attention, recall, involvement, and frequency of engagement—with findings suggesting that deep and sustained involvement with […]
Lessons learned from implementing Indashyikirwa in Rwanda- an adaptation of the SASA! approach to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that harmful social norms in Rwanda—particularly those upholding male authority and the acceptability of violence to discipline women—are central to sustaining IPV. A key takeaway is that social norm change is achievable when interventions like Indashyikirwa create space for couples to redefine respect, power, and gender roles in […]
The doing and undoing of male household decision-making and economic authority in Rwanda and its implications for gender transformative programming
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This formative research shows that social norms in Rwanda—such as expectations of male authority, the acceptability of wife-beating, and women’s responsibility to endure suffering for the sake of marriage—play a critical role in sustaining IPV. The findings underscore the importance of designing interventions like Indashyikirwa to confront not just individual behaviors […]
Findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of a multi-level adolescent and youth reproductive and maternal health intervention in Karnali Province, Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Healthy Transitions intervention demonstrated that gender-transformative programming at multiple socio-ecological levels can shift deeply rooted norms around early marriage, fertility, and gender roles. While notable progress was made in improving AGYW’s gender-equitable attitudes and family support for delaying marriage and childbearing, persistent social norms—such as son preference and stigma around […]
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 […]
Measuring the effectiveness of communication programming on menstrual health and hygiene management (MHM) social norms among adolescent girls in India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that social and behavior change interventions can effectively shift social norms surrounding menstruation when these norms are conceptualized as multidimensional constructs—encompassing personal beliefs, perceived peer approval (injunctive norms), and perceptions of others’ behaviors (descriptive norms). The GARIMA initiative revealed that increased exposure to positive messaging significantly aligned personal […]
Community Dialogue to Shift Social Norms and Enable Family Planning: An Evaluation of the Family Planning Results Initiative in Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The intervention successfully challenged norms that limited women’s reproductive autonomy and discouraged FP use. Dialogues helped normalize FP discussions, reduced stigma, and encouraged joint decision-making. Involving respected local figures and modeling positive behaviors created social permission for men to engage more equitably in reproductive health. The findings show how social norms […]