Social norms, agency, and marriage aspirations in Malawi
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Community norms around the youngest acceptable age of marriage influence adolescent boys’ marriage aspirations but have little to no impact on girls’ aspirations. Instead, adolescents’ own beliefs about acceptable marriage age are consistently associated with when they aspire to marry. These findings suggest that while social norms matter, their influence is […]
Social normative origins of the taboo gap and implications for adolescent risk for HIV infection in Zambia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The taboo gap is driven by deeply ingrained gender norms that enforce silence and stigma around adolescent sexuality—especially for girls. Discordance between adult attitudes and behaviors serves as a signal of harmful norms. Effective interventions must confront these contradictions and include peers, parents, educators, and health systems in reshaping the social […]
Social norms and child marriage in Cameroon: An application of the theory of normative spectrum.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms governing child marriage can differ vastly even within a single country. This study demonstrates that norm strength determines how likely individuals are to conform or resist practices like early marriage. Understanding whether a norm is merely possible, tolerated, appropriate, or obligatory helps practitioners design targeted, effective interventions. For instance, […]
Social and economic marginalisation and sexual and reproductive health and rights of urban poor young women: a qualitative study from Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how deeply embedded gender norms restrict urban poor young women’s sexual and reproductive autonomy in Gujarat, India. Respondents widely internalized dominant norms that stigmatize menstruation, silence sexual desire, and normalize male control over fertility decisions. These norms were enforced through restrictions on dress, mobility, and sexuality—especially after puberty—and […]
Sexual and reproductive health experiences of adolescent girls and women in marginalized communities in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Deeply entrenched social and gender norms—such as silence, shame, and taboo around menstruation, sexuality, and pregnancy—significantly constrain women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services in marginalised communities in Bangladesh. Norms discourage open communication, foster misconceptions, and restrict behaviors, particularly during menstruation and pregnancy. These norms […]
Poverty, dowry and the ‘good match’: revisiting community perceptions and practices of child marriage in a rural setting in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Despite widespread awareness of the harms of child marriage in Bangladesh, the practice persists due to deeply embedded social norms around gender roles, dowry, and family honor. The ideal of a “good match”—where the husband is older, more educated, and dominant—drives early marriage and reinforces female subservience. These norms are maintained […]
Our mothers do not tell us: A qualitative study of adolescent girls’ perspectives on sexual and reproductive health in rural Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Deeply entrenched norms around gender, sexuality, and family honor significantly limit adolescent girls’ autonomy and access to care. Girls are expected to remain silent, obedient, and sexually inactive, and those who seek SRH services risk social judgment or violence. Interventions must address these collective norms—especially the silence around sexuality and stigma […]
Parents’ intention toward early marriage of their adolescent girls in eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study from a social norms perspective
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that strong social norms—specifically empirical expectations (beliefs about what others do) and normative expectations (beliefs about what others think one should do)—significantly influence parents’ intentions to marry off their adolescent daughters before age 18 in Eastern Ethiopia. The findings show that even when parents are aware of the […]
Mixed Methods Assessment of Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores the significant role of gender norms in influencing women’s risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nepal. While individual attitudes toward gender equity were not significantly associated with IPV, more gender-equitable community norms were linked with reduced IPV risk. The case study further highlighted how deeply embedded […]
Measuring Social Norms Related to Child Marriage Among Adult Decision-Makers of Young Girls in Phalombe and Thyolo, Malawi.
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: Boys were influenced by norms portraying them as both threats to and protectors of girls’ reputations. While some adopted more equitable attitudes, their behaviors remained shaped by dominant masculinity and family honor norms. Interventions must go beyond individual change to engage peer networks and broader community structures in shifting power and […]