Key Social Norms Take-aways Age-disparate sexual relationships among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Tanzania and Uganda are shaped by entrenched social and gender norms that normalize transactional sex and male dominance while limiting girls’ agency. The expression “eat and you will be eaten” reflects a widespread expectation that accepting gifts or money from older men obligates girls to engage in sex. These norms are sustained by peer pressure, social expectations of male provision, and stigma toward girls who engage in or resist such relationships. Although publicly condemned, these relationships are privately tolerated, contributing to secrecy, coercion, and unequal power dynamics.
Objectives To explore the motivations, perceived benefits, and social and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) consequences of age-disparate sexual relationships for both AGYW and adult men, and to inform interventions by examining these relationships from the perspectives of both participants and community members.
Methods The study used a qualitative ethnographic approach, conducting 37 participatory focus group discussions and 87 in-depth interviews with young people (aged 14–24) and adults (aged 25–49) in urban and rural sites in Tanzania and Uganda. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 10, applying both pre-defined and emergent codes.
Results AGYW reported engaging in relationships with older men for financial support, emotional care, and social validation. Older men were seen as more generous and trustworthy compared to peers. For men, benefits included sexual gratification, social prestige, and perceptions of AGYW as clean and sexually skilled. However, both groups acknowledged significant risks: HIV, other STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and social stigma. AGYW had limited power to negotiate condom use, and many reported coercion when resisting sex after receiving gifts. Social norms reinforced male control and female compliance, while community responses oscillated between tacit acceptance and moral condemnation. Some AGYW exercised agency in navigating relationships, but often under significant social and economic constraints.
Conclusions Age-disparate sexual relationships are sustained by intersecting economic vulnerabilities and powerful social norms that reinforce male dominance and female dependency. Interventions must go beyond individual behavior change to include community norm change, gender-transformative approaches, and structural support such as economic empowerment. Programs should engage both AGYW and men in critical reflection on relationship dynamics and long-term consequences, while promoting safe, equitable alternatives to transactional sexual relationships.