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 Gender Norms and Gender Gaps in Adolescent Agency in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that community-level gender norms significantly shape adolescent agency and gender gaps in Nepal. In communities with more gender-equitable norms, adolescent girls show greater gains in intrinsic and instrumental agency compared to boys, reversing or narrowing traditional gender gaps. However, these norms are not uniformly associated with all forms […]
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 […]
An exploration of gender-based violence in eastern Myanmar in the context of political transition: findings from a qualitative sexual and reproductive health assessment.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the persistent and deeply embedded gender norms in eastern Myanmar that sustain gender-based violence (GBV) and limit women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights, despite political transitions. Norms surrounding male dominance, early marriage, domestic violence, and restrictions on adolescent girls’ access to SRH services were consistently […]
An Exploration of Social Norms That Restrict Girls’ Sexuality and Facilitate Child Marriage in Bangladesh to Inform Policies and Programs
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores that persistent social norms designed to control adolescent girls’ sexuality are central to the continuation of child marriage in rural Bangladesh. Norms that restrict girls’ mobility, prohibit interaction with male peers, and exclude girls from decision-making around their own marriage are driven by concerns about family honor and […]
A Deviance Approach to Understanding Use of Maternal Health Care Services in Bangladesh
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how social norms at the community level—and how individuals deviate from them—play a significant role in shaping maternal health care utilization in Bangladesh. The concept of “positive” and “negative” deviance is used to understand how individuals who differ from prevailing community norms experience different health outcomes. Women who […]
‘I wanted to enjoy our marriage first… but I got pregnant right away’: a qualitative study of family planning understandings and decisions of women in urban Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how social norms around marriage, fertility, and womanhood shape postpartum family planning in urban Yogyakarta. There was a strong expectation that women should become pregnant soon after marriage, particularly among those who married in their late twenties or thirties. These norms often overrode women’s personal desires to delay […]
“Potential of organizing unmarried adolescent girls and young women into self-help groups for a better transition to adulthood: Findings from a cross-sectional study in India”
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study illustrates how gender norms and structural inequalities restrict adolescent girls’ and young women’s (AGYW) agency in rural India. Social norms that limit girls’ mobility, financial autonomy, and decision-making power are significant barriers. However, organizing AGYW into self-help groups (YWSHGs) creates a platform that enables shifts in these norms. Girls […]
Early Marriage, Social Networks, and the Transmission of Norms
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study finds that early marriage contributes to the transmission and reinforcement of traditional gender norms in Bangladesh, shaping women’s beliefs and weakening their social networks. Women who marry earlier are more likely to agree with gender-biased statements and report fewer progressive role models in their networks. Crucially, the study tested […]
Men’s Perpetration of Partner Violence in Bangladesh: Community Gender Norms and Violence in Childhood
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the powerful yet complex role of community gender norms in shaping men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh. Norms held by senior men—those aged 35–49, often household heads and community influencers—set expectations for masculinity and marital conduct. In communities where senior men endorsed more equitable gender […]