Key Social Norms Take-aways The Shujaaz multimedia platform illustrates how digital and analogue media can be effectively combined to shift social norms around contraception, financial independence, and youth empowerment in Kenya. The platform helps normalize family planning as a responsible and aspirational behavior, using relatable stories and youth-centered narratives to challenge stigma, foster open conversations, and change perceptions of what is acceptable or expected in peer groups. These norm shifts are facilitated through both mass communication and interpersonal engagement, enabling behavior change across stages of readiness.
Objectives The study aimed to assess how exposure to the Shujaaz multimedia platform influenced social norms, attitudes, and behaviors among Kenyan youth aged 15 to 24, particularly related to family planning and income generation.
Methods A panel survey was conducted with 700 youth, with baseline and endline data collected over two years. Multivariate correlated random-effects regression models were used to estimate the effects of exposure to Shujaaz analogue media (comic and radio) and digital platforms (social media and SMS) on attitudes and behaviors related to contraception and financial activities. Social norms were measured through indicators like peer conversations, perceived importance of family planning, and recommendation behaviors.
Intervention Details Shujaaz is an omni-channel behavior change communication strategy that integrates a nationally distributed comic, radio shows, and interactive digital media. The intervention uses fictional characters and real youth stories to engage audiences in discussions on taboo topics such as contraception, relationships, and money. Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change, Shujaaz content is tailored to youth at different stages of behavior change—from awareness to action.
Results Exposure to analogue media was associated with greater awareness and valuation of family planning, while digital media exposure led to significant increases in contraceptive use and peer recommendations. Youth exposed to digital media for more than a year were 18 percentage points more likely to have used condoms and had a 19 percentage point increase in recommending condom use. Digital exposure was also linked to increased income (an average of 2,096 Kenyan shillings monthly), which in turn supported greater uptake of modern contraception. Analogue and digital channels influenced different stages of change and worked best in combination.
Conclusions Shujaaz demonstrates that multimedia platforms can effectively shift social norms by embedding aspirational messages within engaging, youth-driven storytelling. By creating communities of practice and conversation both online and offline, the platform supports progressive changes in both health behaviors and economic empowerment. This dual approach is especially powerful for youth navigating social expectations and planning for their futures.