Effectiveness of Potential Interventions to Change Gendered Social Norms on Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Uganda: a Causal Inference Approach.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gendered social norms that justify wife-beating are deeply ingrained and significantly influence the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Uganda. The study shows that even if entire communities reject wife-beating, the potential reduction in IPV incidence is modest—around 10 percentage points. This underscores that while transforming social norms is necessary, […]
Effects of Gender Role Beliefs on Social Connectivity and Marital Safety: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study Among Married Adolescent Girls in India.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Progressive gender role beliefs—supporting female marital choice, shared household decision-making, male involvement in childcare, and rejecting the acceptability of marital violence—are associated with improved social and digital connectivity, greater freedom of movement, and enhanced safety from marital violence among married adolescent girls. This underscores the importance of transforming restrictive gender norms […]
Drivers of child marriage in specific settings of Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia – findings from the Yes I Do! baseline study.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Child marriage across six countries is not just a standalone practice but a reflection of deeper social norms, especially around girls’ sexuality, family honour, and gender roles. In many cases, marriage is seen as a necessary response to prevent or cover up premarital sex or pregnancy. These norms are reinforced by […]
Displacement-related factors influencing marital practices and associated intimate partner violence risk among Somali refugees in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Displacement has led to perceived changes in marital practices among Somali refugees, but underlying gender norms supporting male dominance and women’s obedience persist. While early and forced marriage and polygamy were reported to have declined due to increased education, NGO awareness efforts, and Ethiopian law, many participants still held attitudes that […]
Couples’ Economic Equilibrium, Gender Norms and Intimate Partner Violence in Kirumba, Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals how entrenched gender norms—particularly around male breadwinning and female domesticity—exacerbate intimate partner violence (IPV) when economic shifts disrupt traditional roles. In Kirumba, Tanzania, men’s inability to fulfill the breadwinner norm due to declining economic opportunities and women’s entry into paid labor triggered feelings of emasculation and social ridicule. […]
Cross-national and multilevel correlates of partner violence: an analysis of data from population-based surveys
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms justifying wife beating and endorsing male authority over women’s behavior are strongly associated with higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). These gender norms not only influence national IPV prevalence but also modify how individual-level factors like education and employment affect women’s risk, highlighting the importance of transforming harmful norms […]
Community perceptions of rape and child sexual abuse: a qualitative study in rural Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in rural Tanzania normalize and perpetuate sexual violence against women and children by reinforcing male dominance, stigmatizing survivors, and framing rape as a private or shameful matter, especially when committed by known perpetrators. These norms discourage reporting, hinder access to justice and healthcare, and silence survivors. The study highlights […]
Community influences on modern contraceptive use among young women in low and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional multi-country analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Norms related to ideal family size, early marriage, and gender roles—particularly those that limit women’s autonomy—act as major barriers to contraceptive use. Changing these norms through community-wide interventions, education, and women’s empowerment is essential for increasing contraceptive access and supporting young women’s reproductive agency. Objectives: This study examined how community-level characteristics […]
Changing sex risk behaviors, gender norms, and relationship dynamics among couples in Cape Town, South Africa: Efficacy of an intervention on the dyad
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study approaches gender norms through the lens of individual attitudes, measuring participants’ agreement with statements reflecting equitable or inequitable beliefs about gender roles and relationship dynamics. While not direct measures of collective social norms (such as perceived community expectations or reference group behaviors), these attitudinal indicators reflect how deeply internalized […]
Changing Social Norms in Somalia: Baseline Report on CHANGES Project Addressing Women Empowerment, Female Circumcision and Early Marriage
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The CHANGES baseline shows that while harmful practices like female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage remain prevalent in Somalia, there is a mismatch between people’s perceptions and actual behaviors. Many overestimate child marriage rates and underestimate opposition to FGM/C. This gap presents a key opportunity for social norms change—interventions must […]