Generalized structural equation modeling of intimate partner violence among married women in East Africa using population-based data.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Attitudes accepting wife beating were strongly associated with all forms of intimate partner violence, pointing to deep-rooted patriarchal norms that can normalize violence within relationships. The discussion also suggests that traditional norms supporting intimate partner violence may contribute to greater sexual violence in rural areas and that women’s employment or increased […]
Determinants of husbands’ involvement in family planning: Evidence from a community-based cross-sectional study in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Husbands’ attitudes toward family planning and contraceptive use are strongly associated with whether they participate in reproductive decision-making and support their wives’ contraceptive use. The discussion emphasizes that favorable attitudes occur across social groups and that media exposure may help shape attitudes toward shared responsibility for family planning. Programs could leverage […]
Landscaping the behaviors, drivers and norms influencing the wellbeing of very young adolescents: an exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives in Nigeria.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Harmful gender norms and sociocultural expectations operate across multiple areas of very young adolescents’ lives in Nigeria, reinforcing early marriage, gender-based violence, girls’ economic dependency, silence around sexuality, and vaccine hesitancy. The discussion emphasizes that these behaviors are embedded in unequal social structures and sustained by stigma, community expectations, misinformation, and […]
Variability in Reproductive Choices: A Comprehensive Analysis of Women’s Working Status and Fertility Behavior in Pakistan.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights that women’s reproductive choices are shaped not only by employment status but also by underlying gender norms and cultural expectations around women’s roles, autonomy, and family planning. Greater workforce participation is associated with increased decision-making power and autonomy, suggesting that shifts in norms around women’s economic roles can […]
Can the law affect attitudes and behavior in the absence of strict enforcement? Experimental evidence from a child marriage reform in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Takeaways: The study shows that formal laws can interact with entrenched social norms in complex and sometimes counterproductive ways. In contexts where child marriage is strongly supported by community norms and customary authorities, stricter laws may trigger backlash rather than compliance. Instead of shifting norms toward delayed marriage, legal changes—especially when perceived […]
She Is a Guest in My House: Exploring the Barriers to Asset Development and Decision-Making Autonomy Among Young Women in Southern Uganda
Key Social Norms Takeaways: Deeply entrenched patriarchal social norms in Southern Uganda—reinforced through family systems, cultural expectations, and institutional practices—systematically restrict young women’s access to assets and decision-making power. Norms positioning women as dependent “guests” in their husbands’ homes and prioritizing men as providers and decision-makers shape both structural opportunities and individual agency. Critically, the […]
Social norms and security and justice services for gender-based violence survivors in Nepal: Programmatic implications from a mixed-methods assessment.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms strongly discourage formal help-seeking for gender-based violence (GBV) in Nepal by prioritizing family honor, privacy, and community harmony over individual safety. Injunctive norms enforce silence through social sanctions (e.g., shame, ostracism), while gender norms position men and elders as decision-makers and women as subordinate, limiting women’s agency to report […]
Navigating norms: a qualitative exploration of factors shaping contraceptive use in Senegal.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study demonstrates that social norms—particularly those surrounding marriage, childbearing, masculinity, and female obedience—are central to shaping contraceptive use in Senegal. Norms that prioritize early and continuous childbearing, equate fertility with social value, and position men as primary decision-makers constrain women’s reproductive autonomy. The discussion highlights that these norms are enforced […]
Exploring the barriers and facilitators to HIV information and health services among youth in N’Djamena, Chad: a qualitative descriptive study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly those related to sexual taboos, abstinence expectations, gender roles, and community surveillance—strongly shape adolescents’ access to HIV information and services in Chad. The discussion emphasizes that stigma, fear of judgment, and power imbalances with authority figures discourage care-seeking, while trusted peer networks and youth-friendly environments can help shift norms […]
“When he is around, I’ll take the PrEP, but when he is not, I will not take PrEP”: key influences on PrEP use decisions among women attending family planning clinics in Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—particularly those related to gender power dynamics, partner influence, and HIV-related stigma—play a central role in shaping women’s decisions around PrEP use in Kenya. Norms that prioritize male partner authority, require partner approval, and associate PrEP with HIV treatment create barriers to uptake, delay, and discontinuation. The study highlights that […]