Predictors of intention to use modern contraceptives among female senior secondary school students in the Kpando Municipality, Ghana
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that even when social norms (such as parental or peer support) are weak or unsupportive, girls’ own sense of empowerment and perceived control plays a decisive role in shaping their reproductive intentions. Interventions should focus not only on shifting social norms but also on building young women’s self-efficacy […]
Parent-Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Communication Is Very Limited and Associated with Adolescent Poor Behavioral Beliefs and Subjective Norms: Evidence from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern Ethiopia
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: Adolescents’ poor communication with parents about sexual and reproductive health is strongly influenced by social norms and beliefs. Many adolescents believe that talking about sexual and reproductive health with parents is inappropriate, embarrassing, or could lead to negative consequences. These subjective norms—especially when reinforced by peer expectations—discourage open dialogue. Gender norms […]
Parents’ intention toward early marriage of their adolescent girls in eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study from a social norms perspective
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that strong social norms—specifically empirical expectations (beliefs about what others do) and normative expectations (beliefs about what others think one should do)—significantly influence parents’ intentions to marry off their adolescent daughters before age 18 in Eastern Ethiopia. The findings show that even when parents are aware of the […]
Peer network influence on intimate partner violence perpetration among urban Tanzanian men
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Peer networks significantly influence men’s attitudes and behaviors around intimate partner violence (IPV) in urban Tanzania. Men internalize or conform to group norms that reinforce traditional gender roles and male dominance. These norms are rarely challenged within peer groups and sometimes actively enforced. Effective IPV prevention must address peer group dynamics, […]
Perceived norms, personal agency, and postpartum family planning intentions among first-time mothers age 15–24 years in Kinshasa: A cross-sectional analysis
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study underscores that perceived social expectations and norms—especially those from the broader community—are powerful influencers of PPFP behavior. When young mothers believe that their peers use contraception or that their community supports it, their intention to do so increases. Conversely, perceived disapproval suppresses these intentions. Effective PPFP programs must challenge […]
Men’s Perpetration of Partner Violence in Bangladesh: Community Gender Norms and Violence in Childhood
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study shows that gender-equitable community norms among senior men are associated with lower levels of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by younger men in Bangladesh. However, these norms do not mitigate the increased risk of IPV linked to childhood exposure to violence. This suggests that while shifting norms is […]
Mixed Methods Assessment of Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores the significant role of gender norms in influencing women’s risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nepal. While individual attitudes toward gender equity were not significantly associated with IPV, more gender-equitable community norms were linked with reduced IPV risk. The case study further highlighted how deeply embedded […]
Measuring Social Norms Related to Child Marriage Among Adult Decision-Makers of Young Girls in Phalombe and Thyolo, Malawi.
Key Social Norms Take-Aways: Boys were influenced by norms portraying them as both threats to and protectors of girls’ reputations. While some adopted more equitable attitudes, their behaviors remained shaped by dominant masculinity and family honor norms. Interventions must go beyond individual change to engage peer networks and broader community structures in shifting power and […]
Men on the Move and the Wives Left Behind: The Impact of Migration on Family Planning in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals how patriarchal and extended family norms continue to shape young women’s reproductive health experiences in Nepal, particularly when their husbands migrate for work. Despite gaining more autonomy in some areas, women with migrant husbands still navigate deeply entrenched norms around spousal absence, fertility expectations, and decision-making power controlled […]
Men’s Attitude Towards Contraception and Sexuality, Women’s Empowerment, and Demand Satisfied for Family Planning in India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Gender norms that reinforce male authority and stigmatize women’s contraceptive use remain major barriers to family planning access in India. Programs must work at the community level to transform harmful beliefs among men, promote women’s empowerment across multiple domains (especially employment), and create supportive environments for women’s reproductive decision-making. Objectives: This […]