The role of older women in contesting norms associated with female genital mutilation/cutting in Senegambia: A factorial focus group analysis.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Senegambia is maintained through a constellation of intersecting social norms related to tradition, social hierarchy, and moral virtue, particularly among women. While often portrayed as custodians of harmful tradition, older women in Senegambia were found to be open to reassessing and renegotiating […]
The effect of a community based health promotion intervention to change gender norms among women in a rural community in Sri Lanka
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in this context position women as primary caregivers and homemakers, while framing male dominance, aggression, and decision-making as natural. These norms were widely accepted and normalized among women prior to the intervention. However, by linking gender norms to family health and well-being, and facilitating peer-led questioning of traditional roles, […]
The Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and Risky Sexual Behaviour among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how entrenched traditional gender norms at Ethiopian universities contribute to both gender-based violence (GBV) and risky sexual behaviors. Norms that associate women’s worth with submissiveness, modesty, and virginity—and that blame women for violence if they deviate from these ideals—create a campus climate where GBV is normalized and victims […]
The ‘Demand Side’ of Child Marriage: Expanding Gender Norms to Marriage Drivers Facing Boys and Men in South Sudan
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage persists due to dual gender norms—those controlling girls’ sexuality and those pressuring boys to marry to be seen as men. Addressing both is key to reducing the practice. Objectives: This study examines the underexplored ‘demand side’ of child marriage in South Sudan, focusing on how gender norms and economic […]
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 […]