Drawing on diverse partnerships to identify, address, and measure context-specific gender norms: a case study from REAL Fathers Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The REAL Fathers case study demonstrates that gender norms should be identified and addressed as specific, locally grounded expectations rather than broad concepts of masculinity or gender inequality. Participatory research revealed meaningful regional differences in how norms are enforced, underscoring the importance of community involvement, local partnerships, and attention to reference […]
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, […]
Attitude towards gender roles and violence against women and girls (VAWG): baseline findings from an RCT of 1752 youths in Pakistan.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that patriarchal gender attitudes among Pakistani adolescents are shaped by social norms within peer groups, families, and schools. Peer violence, corporal punishment, child marriage expectations, and exposure to violence at home serve as indicators of gender norms that reinforce inequality. The authors argue that because peer norms are […]
Prevention of violence against women and girls: A cost-effectiveness study across 6 low- and middle-income countries
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that community-based interventions designed to change harmful gender norms and social norms around violence are among the most cost-effective strategies for preventing violence against women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. The findings highlight that investing in proven social norms interventions can improve population health, although additional […]
Assessing the Role of Sex and Gender Norms in Peer Violence Trends During Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study From Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms—particularly unequal expectations about sexual and romantic behavior for boys versus girls—may shape adolescents’ vulnerability to peer violence differently by sex. More unequal sexual double standard perceptions were associated with greater peer violence, particularly the overlap of victimization and perpetration among girls. The authors argue that gender-transformative approaches should address […]
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 […]
Teenage Pregnancy and Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Marriage and Pregnancy: Primary Data Analysis in Akatsi North, Ghana.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Peer influence and gender norms are important social drivers of adolescents’ attitudes toward marriage and pregnancy. Peer pressure emerged as the strongest influence on preferences for earlier marriage and childbearing, while more gender-equitable attitudes—particularly valuing university education equally for girls and boys—were associated with delaying marriage. The discussion emphasizes that social […]
A Social-Ecological Model to Explore Multi-Faceted Drivers of Child Marriage: An Iterative Qualitative Study in Southern Bangladesh.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social and community norms emerged as some of the most influential drivers of child marriage in southern Bangladesh. Norms surrounding adolescent sexuality, gender, religion, family honor, girls’ mobility, and the “ideal” bride reinforce one another and interact with poverty, girls’ limited agency, and institutional weaknesses. In particular, expectations that girls remain […]
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 […]
Adolescents’ agency in negotiating social norms governing sexual and reproductive health services among the Nyasa people of Rural Tanzania.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Adolescents and young people are not simply constrained by social norms; they actively reproduce, resist, and negotiate them to balance sexual and reproductive health needs with social acceptance. Restrictive gender expectations, stigma, fear of community judgment, and concerns about confidentiality shape service use, while trusted peer networks provide important pathways for […]