Effectiveness of a multimedia campaign in shifting community knowledge, attitudes, social norms, and practices of female genital mutilation and child marriage in Ethiopia.
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Exposure to the multimedia campaign was associated with greater awareness and less supportive attitudes toward female genital mutilation and child marriage, but deeply rooted sociocultural and religious norms continued to sustain both practices. The discussion emphasizes that individual attitude change is insufficient; sustained abandonment requires collective norm change through community and intergenerational dialogue, engagement of influential community members, girls’ and youth empowerment, and stronger legal enforcement.
Objectives To evaluate whether exposure to a multimedia social and behavior change intervention was associated with differences in knowledge, attitudes, social norms, intentions, and practices related to female genital mutilation and child marriage in four districts of Ethiopia.
Methods A post-only mixed-methods evaluation compared 205 intervention-exposed and 198 unexposed survey participants and included 70 qualitative participants across eight focus group discussions and eight individual/key-informant interviews. Quantitative differences were assessed using chi-square tests, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed and triangulated with survey findings. Normative influences were examined through attitudes, beliefs, gender norms, social pressures, decision-making, community enforcement, myths, stigma, religious beliefs, and intergenerational pressure.
Intervention Details From January 2020 to June 2025, Population Media Center-Ethiopia and the United Nations Population Fund implemented a multimedia campaign in Mareko, Dalocha, Esera, and Dasenech. Activities included radio programming, radio and television messages, listener groups, digital media, interactive voice messaging, promotional materials, capacity building, and advocacy workshops with community stakeholders. Formative research identified social norms, religious beliefs, socioeconomic factors, and awareness gaps as intervention targets.
Results Exposed participants had significantly greater overall knowledge (93.2% versus 84.6%), stronger attitudes opposing female genital mutilation (90.2% versus 81.4%), and stronger attitudes opposing child marriage (83.4% versus 78.1%). However, practices did not differ significantly by exposure. Qualitative findings identified marriageability expectations, stigma, beliefs about cleanliness and sexuality, religious interpretations, social acceptance, and economic pressures as continuing drivers.
Conclusions Multimedia interventions can shift knowledge and attitudes, but changing entrenched practices requires addressing collective social expectations and engaging communities, influential reference groups, young people, and institutions in coordinated norm-change efforts.
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