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 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 […]
One Step Forwards half a Step Backwards: Changing Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence in Bangladesh.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms around male dominance, female obedience, and marital permanence remain powerful drivers of IPV. Progress in women’s rights must be matched by efforts to transform these norms—especially among men and boys—if violence is to decline sustainably. Programming should engage whole communities, address backlash, and support women as they navigate shifting […]
Navigating fertility, reproduction and modern contraception in the fragile context of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: ‘Les enfants sont une richesse’
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, social norms deeply shape reproductive choices, with high fertility linked to social personhood, kinship obligations, and economic hope. Modern contraception introduces new possibilities—but also new uncertainties—as women navigate entrenched gender hierarchies, religious discourses, and fears of social or physical repercussions. Contraceptive use is often […]
Mediating risk through young women’s marital arrangements and intimate relationships in low-income communities in urban India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals how gender norms and ideals of female respectability shape marital arrangements and intimate relationships among low-income young women in urban India. Social norms around family honor (izzat), obedience, and sexual propriety lead families to favor early arranged marriages to mitigate risks like gossip, harassment, or premarital relationships. However, […]
Married Women’s Justification of Intimate Partner Violence in Bangladesh: Examining Community Norm and Individual-Level Risk Factors.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Findings suggest that community-level norms around intimate partner violence (IPV) are the strongest predictors of women’s justification of IPV in Bangladesh. Specifically, living in communities where wife beating is widely accepted significantly increases the likelihood that women will also view IPV as justified, regardless of their individual characteristics. This underscores the […]
Male and female conceptualizations of sexual harassment in Tanzania: The role of consent, male power
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how social norms in Tanzania shape understandings of sexual harassment, particularly through entrenched gender roles and power dynamics. Norms around male entitlement to women’s bodies, hierarchical power in schools and workplaces, and expectations that women must publicly reject advances for them to be labeled as harassment all contribute […]
Making Sense of Marriage: Gender and the Transition to Adulthood in Nairobi, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: While the article does not explicitly address or measure social norms, it offers valuable insights into shared beliefs and expectations about marriage and adulthood among youth in Nairobi. The study highlights how marriage is broadly understood as a marker of adulthood, but with differing meanings and desirability across genders. Young men […]
I really wanted to abort’ Desire for abortion, failed abortion and forced motherhood in South-Western Nigeria.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study reveals how entrenched social norms around premarital sex, motherhood, and abortion in South-Western Nigeria severely constrain young women’s reproductive autonomy. Abortion stigma—framed by religious, legal, and moral discourses—forces women to weigh social death against health risks when confronting unintended pregnancies. The concept of “forced motherhood” emerges from a complex […]
Forced Sex and Early Marriage: Understanding the Linkages and Norms in a Humanitarian Setting.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study highlights powerful injunctive norms in humanitarian settings that contribute to harmful practices linking rape and early marriage. In South Kivu, DRC, both adolescent girls and caregivers commonly view marriage as the appropriate response to rape—particularly when the perpetrator is known. These norms reflect and reinforce the belief that a […]