South African women’s conceptualisations of and responses to sexual coercion in relation to hegemonic masculinities.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals how hegemonic masculinities—norms that valorize male dominance, control, and sexual entitlement—shape South African women’s perceptions of and responses to sexual coercion. These norms contribute to the normalization of coercion, especially in intimate relationships, and often lead women to internalize blame and guilt. However, women’s agency is shown to […]
Social Norms and Security and Justice Services for Gender-based Violence in Nepal: Programmatic Implications from a Baseline Mixed-Methods Assessment
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that deeply rooted patriarchal social norms—centered around family honor, obedience to elders, and the sanctity of marriage—significantly deter help-seeking for gender-based violence (GBV) in Nepal. Despite increased awareness and formal justice mechanisms, women often face strong sanctions for reporting violence, including stigma, community ostracism, and familial rejection. These […]
Social norms and women’s risk of intimate partner violence in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that social norms—particularly perceived and collective community expectations regarding gender roles, family honor, and the acceptability of violence—are significantly associated with women’s risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nepal. Notably, women’s perceptions of community beliefs about male control, female submissiveness, and the legitimacy of violence to maintain […]
Social norm coordination and readiness to change female genital cutting: Evidence from Senegambia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reinforces the social coordination norm model of female genital cutting (FGC), showing that decisions around FGC are deeply influenced by the anticipated social benefits of conformity and the costs of deviation. Families often act not purely out of individual preference but in response to the behavior and expectations of […]
Social norms and beliefs about gender based violence scale: a measure for use with gender based violence prevention programs in low-resource and humanitarian settings.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around victim-blaming, prioritizing family honor over survivor safety, and men’s authority to use violence against women strongly sustain GBV practices. Changing these norms requires engaging influential community members, addressing the stigma surrounding survivors, and promoting new norms that value women’s safety and equality. The scale offers a critical step […]
Social and gender norms informing, voicing, and reporting against sexual harassment among domestic workers in Kampala’s informal economy
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and gender norms in Uganda deeply constrain domestic workers’ ability to recognize, voice, and formally report sexual harassment. Norms of female submissiveness, the privatization of sexual matters, and expectations around dress and propriety contribute to victim-blaming, shame, and normalization of harassment. These norms also shape how institutions and actors—such as […]
Social Determinants of Married Women’s Attitudinal Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores the powerful role of patriarchal community norms in shaping women’s attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh. Among all community-level factors, prevailing gender norms—specifically the level of acceptance of wife beating in the community—had the strongest influence on women’s own attitudes. The findings reveal that even women […]
Shifts in female genital mutilation/cutting in Kenya: Perspectives of families and health care providers
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates that social norms—particularly those around cultural identity, marriageability, religious obligations, and control of female sexuality—strongly sustain the practice of FGM/C in Kenya. Despite growing awareness of health risks and legal prohibitions, communities are adapting through shifts in the practice (e.g., cutting at younger ages, medicalisation, and less severe […]
Signs of a Turning Tide in Social Norms and Attitudes Toward Abortion in Ethiopia: Findings from a Qualitative Study in Four Regions
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study reveals deeply rooted negative social norms and stigma surrounding unintended pregnancy and abortion in Ethiopia, particularly affecting young and unmarried women. Despite legal reforms, abortion continues to be viewed as morally unacceptable in many communities, often equated with murder or sin. However, the research also identifies early signs of […]
Qualitative evaluation of the Saleema campaign to eliminate female genital mutilation and cutting in Sudan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Saleema campaign demonstrates how branding and health communication can be powerful tools to shift entrenched social norms—specifically those sustaining female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sudan. The campaign reframes being “uncut” as “Saleema,” meaning whole, healthy, and untouched, and promotes this identity through positive imagery and messaging. Despite widespread social stigma […]