How community dialogues influence norm change around female genital mutilation: a mediation analysis from a high-burden Kenyan setting.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Female genital mutilation is sustained by shared expectations about marriageability, social status, and sanctions for non-compliance rather than solely by individual preferences. Community dialogues may shift these expectations by creating opportunities for collective reflection and visible dissent. The weaker associations for couples-only dialogues suggest that household-level approaches alone may be insufficient […]
Evaluation of Girls Invest, an economic empowerment intervention to address social and economic risks associated with intimate partner violence among adolescent girls in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Girls Invest suggests that combining economic empowerment with gender-equity education can help adolescent girls critically question restrictive gender roles and strengthen their ability to respond to gender discrimination. Girls described recognizing norms that privilege male authority and restrict girls’ educational and economic opportunities, and shared intervention lessons with friends and family, […]
Increasing young people’s use of sexual and reproductive health services in government health facilities in rural Kenya.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms and provider attitudes can create important psychosocial barriers to young people’s use of sexual and reproductive health services. Fear of judgment, shaming, parental disapproval, and loss of confidentiality may particularly discourage younger adolescents and girls. The findings suggest these barriers can be reduced by fostering more supportive provider attitudes […]
Menarche as a silent transition: Islamic modesty norms, mother-daughter communication, and menstrual readiness among rural Indonesian adolescents.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Islamic modesty norms shape menstrual readiness by influencing whether, how, and how openly menstruation is discussed. Silence around menstruation was not simply an information gap but a socially meaningful practice associated with religious identity, femininity, modesty, and moral conduct. Importantly, adolescents did not reject Islamic values; rather, they wanted emotionally supportive […]
Mothers’ practices and barriers in sexuality education for adolescents with intellectual disabilities
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Cultural taboos and stigma surrounding sexuality strongly shaped mothers’ attitudes and practices, discouraging open discussion and reinforcing silence around sexuality education. Mothers’ embarrassment, fear of making mistakes, and concern that discussing sexuality might encourage inappropriate curiosity interacted with limited institutional support to produce narrow, reactive teaching. The authors emphasize that culturally […]
Unveiling Adolescent Boys’ Perceptions of Menstruation: A Qualitative Study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Menstrual stigma among adolescent boys is reinforced through social silence, gender roles, peer interactions, and cultural and religious practices. Boys observed menstrual restrictions within families—such as prohibitions on prayer, cooking, and household activities—often without receiving explanations, which can lead them to internalize menstruation as impure or shameful. Parents’ and teachers’ reluctance […]
Exploring barriers, facilitators, and preferences for the uptake of contraceptive methods among adolescents aged 15-19 years in Neno district, Malawi: a qualitative study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms are central to low adolescent contraceptive uptake in Neno district. Despite widespread recognition of the harms of early pregnancy, cultural and religious norms discouraging premarital sex and adolescent contraception often outweigh health concerns. Stigma associates contraceptive use, particularly among girls, with promiscuity, while masculine expectations linking fertility with virility […]
Why do adolescent girls become pregnant? Contextual pathways to adolescent pregnancy in rural Tanzania: a mixed-methods study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adolescent pregnancy in rural Tanzania is shaped by social norms embedded within broader economic and gender inequalities. Cultural expectations surrounding initiation, marriage, sexuality, and fertility can normalize early sexual relationships and transitions to adulthood, while gendered power imbalances—particularly within age-disparate relationships—constrain girls’ ability to negotiate contraception. Importantly, the authors argue that […]
Preventing unwanted pregnancy among internally displaced adolescents (15-19 years) in Nigeria.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Negative injunctive norms surrounding premarital sex and contraceptive use create stigma and discrimination that restrict adolescents’ access to contraception, even when they understand its benefits and want to prevent pregnancy. Adolescents feared being labeled “spoilt” or promiscuous for having premarital sex or seeking contraception, while service providers sometimes reinforced these norms […]
Contraceptive use intention among women in Pakistan: Application of theory of planned behavior.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social expectations appear more influential than women’s personal attitudes in shaping contraceptive intentions in Pakistan. The findings suggest that even when explicit opposition to contraception is uncommon, subtle disapproval, gendered expectations, and deference to husbands and extended family can constrain women’s reproductive choices. Programs should therefore address family and community expectations […]