Understanding reference groups for norms and behaviour change: the intersection of relationship dynamics and family planning
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights how reference groups—trusted individuals who influence beliefs and behaviors—shape social and gender norms related to family planning and relationship dynamics in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Godparents, pastors, friends, and health workers each influence norms in different ways and with varying effectiveness across topics. Some actors provide […]
Use of digital media for family planning information by women and their social networks in Kenya: A qualitative study in peri-urban Nairobi
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights that digital media can offer safer, more discreet avenues for young women in Kenya to access and share family planning (FP) information, especially where in-person discussions are constrained by stigma and gender norms. Social norms around gender significantly influence comfort levels in discussing FP online, with women preferring […]
Understanding abortion-related stigma and incidence of unsafe abortion: experiences from community members in Machakos and Trans Nzoia counties Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Abortion-related stigma in Kenya is strongly reinforced by social norms that define women’s morality and social value through motherhood and sexual respectability. Women who seek abortion—especially young, unmarried women—are often labeled as immoral, “killers,” or bad influences, and are socially ostracized. This stigma is pervasive in both high- and low-incidence regions […]
Understanding how social norms influence access to and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Northern Nigeria
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Social norms in Northern Nigeria strongly enforce early marriage, high fertility expectations, and male authority over reproductive decisions, significantly limiting adolescents’ access to and utilization of modern contraceptive services. Norms around chastity, family honor, and fertility not only stigmatize unmarried adolescents who seek contraception but also render married adolescents—especially girls—powerless to […]
Understanding motives for intravaginal practices amongst Tanzanian and Ugandan women at high risk of HIV infection: The embodiment of social and cultural norms and well-being
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study explores how intravaginal cleansing and insertion practices among women in Tanzania and Uganda are influenced by social and cultural norms related to gender, sexuality, and morality. While the study does not use formal social norms measurement tools, it explicitly investigates how these practices are shaped by community expectations, traditional […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting through social networks: An intersectional analysis of the influence of gender, generation, status, and structural inequality
Key Social Norms Take-aways: In Senegal, social norms surrounding FGM/C are deeply embedded in gendered ideas of morality, femininity, and social inclusion. The study shows that these norms are not monolithic but vary significantly by region, ethnicity, and social status. In South Senegal, norms linking FGM/C to marriageability, virtue, and social support remain strongly upheld, […]
Tracing change in female genital mutilation/cutting: Shifting norms and practices among communities in Narok and Kisii counties, Kenya
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Shifting social norms—particularly around marriageability, sexual morality, and ethnic identity—are central to understanding both persistence and change in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Narok and Kisii counties. While health risk messaging has increased public awareness, it has not substantially changed norms rooted in tradition, identity, and fear of social sanctions. […]
The role of gender inequities in women’s access to reproductive health services: A population-level study of Simiyu Region, Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study underscores how entrenched gender norms in the Simiyu region of Tanzania severely restrict women’s and girls’ access to reproductive health services. Norms that prioritize male authority, devalue women’s autonomy, and equate female worth with childbirth reinforce systemic barriers to healthcare. Women face stigma and even violence for using family […]
The Role of Gender Norms in Shaping Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Experiences of Pregnancy and Abortion in Mozambique
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The study emphasizes the need for gender-transformative approaches that do more than expand services—they must reshape the social and cultural context. Effective interventions should empower girls with knowledge and decision-making confidence, engage male partners and families as supportive allies, train healthcare providers to reduce stigma and bias, and implement whole-community initiatives […]
The role of older women in contesting norms associated with female genital mutilation/cutting in Senegambia: A factorial focus group analysis.
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study reveals that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Senegambia is maintained through a constellation of intersecting social norms related to tradition, social hierarchy, and moral virtue, particularly among women. While often portrayed as custodians of harmful tradition, older women in Senegambia were found to be open to reassessing and renegotiating […]