Community Radio Program to Improve the Health of Women and Children
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Kwishilya and Siñalamba radio serial dramas (RSDs) in Zambia show that entertainment-education can shift social norms around family planning, gender roles, and reproductive health. Regular listeners were more likely to perceive community and partner approval for contraceptive use and reported greater self-efficacy in negotiating reproductive decisions. The intervention helped normalize […]
Community mobilization to modify harmful gender norms and reduce HIV risk: results from a community cluster randomized trial in South Africa.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that community mobilization (CM) can shift harmful gender norms among men, creating more supportive social environments for HIV prevention. However, changing norms did not immediately translate into reductions in risk behaviors, highlighting the complexity of transforming norms into action. The findings suggest that norm change may precede behavioral […]
Changing the River’s Flow – A Gender Transformative Programme for Young People (CTRF4YP)
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This evaluation demonstrates that gender-transformative, community-based interventions can catalyze shifts in deeply embedded norms around gender roles, violence, and sexual relationships. The intervention’s focus on community dialogue and inclusion of both men and women led to increased openness in discussing gender-based violence, reduced stigma around survivors, and new expectations around spousal […]
Using social and behavior change communication to increase HIV testing and condom use: The Malawi BRIDGE Project
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The BRIDGE II program addressed harmful norms related to gender, sexual behavior, and HIV stigma through mass media and community engagement. By challenging prevailing beliefs and encouraging community discussion, the intervention helped shift social expectations around HIV testing and condom use. These shifts supported individuals in adopting healthier behaviors within a […]
ADOLESCENT TRANSITION IN WEST AFRICA (ATWA) OUTCOME EVALUATION 2022-2023 Endline Report
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The ATWA program demonstrates that comprehensive, school- and community-based life skills education can lead to early shifts in social norms around gender and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. Although short-term changes in community-level norms were modest, significant improvements in adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, and gender-equitable beliefs suggest that norms around […]
Changing Childbearing Norms During an Era of ART Expansion in Malawi, 2009 to 2015
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates a significant shift in community-level childbearing norms in Malawi between 2009 and 2015, particularly regarding the acceptability of parenthood for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). As access to ART expanded, societal norms evolved to become more supportive of HIV-positive childbearing, suggesting a broader process of normalization. Nonetheless, full […]
How gender norms and ‘good girl’ notions prevent adolescent girls and young women from engaging with PrEP: qualitative insights from Zimbabwe.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Rigid gender norms around sexual morality, obedience, and reputation prevent AGYW from using PrEP. These norms are enforced by families, male partners, and even health providers, limiting girls’ autonomy. Effective PrEP programs must go beyond clinical availability to address stigma, reshape community attitudes, and create enabling environments where AGYW can make […]
Re-conceptualising gender and power relations for sexual and reproductive health: contrasting narratives of tradition, unity, and rights
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that gender and power relations among young adults in Malawi are shaped by competing narratives—tradition, unity, and rights—each reflecting different social norms. Traditional norms emphasize male authority and women’s obedience, but participants also expressed support for more collaborative (unity) or rights-based gender relations. The concept of “power with” […]
Social normative origins of the taboo gap and implications for adolescent risk for HIV infection in Zambia.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study introduces the “taboo gap” to explain how discordance between community attitudes and behaviors around premarital sex can increase HIV risk for adolescents, particularly girls. Drawing on social norms theory, the authors argue that injunctive norms—rules about acceptable behavior—generate silence around adolescent sexuality. The taboo against openly acknowledging premarital sex […]
You are looked upon as a luxury tool: Young Tanzanian women’s perception of community norms supporting partner violence during transactional sex
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The article highlights that harmful gender norms — including the normalization of male control and violence, the double standards around women’s sexuality, and the stigma against transactional sex — underpin women’s vulnerability in kudanga relationships. Addressing these social norms through community-wide engagement, shifting gender power dynamics, and reducing stigma is essential […]