Does going against the norm on women’s economic participation increase intimate partner violence risk? A cross-sectional, multi-national study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly those governing women’s economic participation and gendered expectations around male provision—critically shape the relationship between women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and intimate partner violence (IPV). The discussion highlights that when women’s economic behaviors deviate from what is normative in their community (“vanguard” behavior), they may face increased risk of IPV […]
Enablers of and barriers to ART adherence among female sex workers in mid-western Uganda: a qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly subjective norms such as peer approval, social support, stigma, and expectations around disclosure—play a critical role in shaping antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among female sex workers (FSWs). The discussion highlights that supportive norms (e.g., encouragement from peers, seeing others adhere to ART, and acceptance following disclosure) can enable adherence, […]
Adaptation of the G-NORM (Gender norms scale) in Uganda: An examination of how gender norms are associated with reproductive health decision-making
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms are multifaceted, context-specific social norms that shape women’s reproductive health decision-making, and must be measured as distinct but related constructs—particularly descriptive norms (what people do) and injunctive norms (what people believe should be done). The discussion highlights that injunctive norms may shift more quickly than descriptive norms and are […]
You are looked upon as a luxury tool’: Young Tanzanian women’s perception of community norms supporting partner violence during transactional sex (kudanga)
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms surrounding transactional sex (kudanga) in Tanzania both stigmatize women and normalize their subordination, creating a paradox where the practice is widely condemned yet structurally reinforced. The discussion highlights that norms rooted in gender inequality—such as expectations that men provide and women reciprocate with sex—legitimize male control, constrain women’s agency, […]
‘Our options are limited, so we get married:’ girls, early marriage and health risks in rural Zimbabwe
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly heteropatriarchal gender norms, religious doctrines, and stigma surrounding unmarried girls—play a central role in driving early marriage, often outweighing perceived health risks. Norms linking girls’ value to sexual purity, marriageability, and obedience to male authority figures create a “risk environment” where social exclusion is feared more than health consequences, […]
Exploring the impact of perceived early marriage on women’s education and employment in Bangladesh through a mixed-methods study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms play a central role in shaping girls’ perceptions and decisions around early marriage, with norms around safety, family honor, gender roles, and acceptable relationships driving both parental pressure and girls’ own choices. Early marriage is often normalized and even desired as a socially sanctioned pathway to security, adulthood, and […]
The role of community-level men’s and women’s inequitable gender norms on women’s empowerment in India: A multilevel analysis using India’s National Family Health Survey-5
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Community-level gender norms—held by both men and women—play a critical and independent role in shaping women’s empowerment. Inequitable norms that justify wife-beating reflect broader patriarchal expectations and are associated with reduced mobility, decision-making power, and health knowledge among women. Importantly, the similar effects of men’s and women’s norms highlight that the […]
Determinants of young People’s gender norm attitudes related to rights and equity in Southeast Nigeria
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Young people in Southeast Nigeria simultaneously endorse women’s empowerment and uphold entrenched patriarchal norms—particularly male dominance in household decision-making and social roles. Social norms are shaped through family structures, education, religion, and gender socialization, demonstrating that shifts toward gender equity require addressing broader social systems, not just individual attitudes. Objectives: To […]
Social Norms and Female Labour Force Participation in Bangladesh: The Role of Social Expectations and Reference Networks
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around women’s employment in Bangladesh are shaped by social expectations within family reference networks, particularly the approval of fathers and husbands. Norms are not fixed; support for female employment changes when people perceive that others approve. Male family members’ attitudes are the most influential social cue, while peers and […]
Impact of Tipping Point Initiative, a social norms intervention, in addressing child marriage and other adolescent health and behavioral outcomes in a northern district of Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This impact evaluation explicitly examines how CARE’s Tipping Point program influenced injunctive and descriptive norms related to gender, marriage, and adolescent girls’ rights in rural Bangladesh. The study used a dedicated norms module to assess what adolescents and adults perceive others expect of them (injunctive norms) and what they believe others […]