Tékponon Jikuagou: Final Report
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The TJ project confirms that social norms—particularly those linked to gender roles, fertility expectations, and open discussion about family planning (FP)—are key barriers to meeting unmet FP needs. Norms that limit women’s autonomy, discourage spousal communication, and stigmatize FP use are reinforced through social networks. TJ demonstrated that influencing social norms […]
Delaying child marriage through community-based skills-development programs for girls: Results from a randomized controlled study in rural Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Although the study does not use formal social norms theory or measure norms directly, it clearly identifies normative influences—especially community expectations and social pressures—as key drivers of early marriage. In the background, the authors frame child marriage as shaped by family concerns about reputation, girls’ perceived readiness for adult roles, and […]
Effectiveness of Community Dialogue in Changing Gender and Sexual Norms for HIV Prevention: Evaluation of the Tchova Tchova Program in Mozambique
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms—especially injunctive norms around gender and relationship dynamics—significantly influence attitudes and behaviors related to gender equity and HIV prevention. The study finds that exposure to a dialogue-based communication intervention can shift these norms by increasing interpersonal communication and changing what participants perceive others approve or expect. The results highlight the […]
The power of women’s and men’s Social Networks to catalyse normative and behavioural change: evaluation of an intervention addressing Unmet need for Family Planning in Benin
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Tékponon Jikuagou demonstrates that community-based social norms interventions can effectively shift attitudes and behaviors related to family planning (FP) by addressing communication taboos, social expectations, and gender roles. By fostering open dialogue around fertility and contraception within couples and peer networks, the intervention created more supportive environments for reproductive decision-making. While […]
Projet Tékponon Jikuagou: Experiences and Effects of Using NGO Platforms to Scale-Up the TJ Social Network Package
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Tékponon Jikuagou (TJ) project demonstrates that addressing unmet need for family planning (FP) through social network diffusion can effectively shift deeply rooted gender and social norms. Integrating participatory dialogue and reflection into existing development projects enabled changes in attitudes, behaviors, and community expectations around FP. The approach fostered individual and […]
Exploring young women’s reproductive decision-making, agency and social norms in South African informal settlements
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that focusing solely on individual agency overlooks the powerful role of social norms — particularly the expectation that young women should prove their fertility early. Programs aiming to reduce early, unplanned pregnancies must challenge these community and family pressures, while also supporting women’s increasing desire for reproductive control […]
Impact of Sumadhur intervention on fertility and family planning decision-making norms: a mixed methods study
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Sumadhur intervention demonstrated that shifting entrenched fertility and family planning norms—especially around the timing of first births and gendered household decision-making—is possible through intentional engagement of multiple household generations. Although societal norms continue to pressure women into early pregnancy, the intervention catalyzed more gender-equitable attitudes and communication within families, revealing […]
Family Factors and Gender Norms as Protective Factors Against Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms, particularly traditional gender expectations that discourage premarital sex, may serve as a form of informal social control that deters sexual risk-taking. These norms, reinforced through close family bonds and socialized gender roles, play a critical role in adolescent girls’ behavioral choices. However, while traditional norms may have protective effects, […]
Extracurricular School-Based Social Change Communication Program Associated with Reduced HIV Infection Among Young Women in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the potential of extracurricular, school-based interventions to shift social norms related to sexual behavior and health among young women. The Soul Buddyz Clubs fostered collective action, built self-esteem, and emphasized responsible health behaviors—components that appear to influence norms around condom use and sexual partnerships. The intervention’s emphasis on […]
Stepping Stones and Creating Futures intervention: shortened interrupted time series evaluation of a behavioural and structural health promotion and violence prevention intervention for young people in informal settlements in Durban, South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that integrating economic empowerment with gender-transformative interventions can effectively shift social norms among young people in informal settlements. Notably, it found that material improvements in young women’s lives—such as increased income and reduced financial dependence—enabled them to better apply knowledge from gender-transformative programming, leading to reduced experience of […]