Author: Dr Monika Chauhan, National Program Manager- Health and Nutrition, PCI India

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The possible effects of social norms on individual behaviours, have been under discussion since the past three decades, but only recently it has been substantiated through evidence generation. Targeting social norms is important, because norms are frequently the drivers or barriers to behaviour change and secondly, it is believed that adoption of behaviours by an individual is influenced by the surrounding socio-cultural environment. Studies indicate that interventions targeting a change in social norm are most effective if implemented in an environment where messages are delivered through multiple channels, and those that target collectives[1].

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Social norms, defined as either informal understanding or codified rules of behaviour considered acceptable in a group or society. Social norms rely on indirect methods of persuasion that provide accurate information about what people think or do without telling them what they should actually do. The social norms approach integrates a variety of concepts and phenomena that have been well documented in the social science literature such as:

·         Pluralistic ignorance– individuals act differently from how they feel

·         Self-serving bias like false consensus to justify problem behavior

·         Cognitive dissonance– providing accurate information about norms

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There is a growing demand for evidence-based programming for social norm change, and rigorous scientific base, but there is limited experience. The USAID funded SPRING project conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed articles highlighting the importance of promoting behaviour change both at social as well as individual level utilizing all possible contact points. Though it suggests that interpersonal communication is key, context and an enabling environment play a significant role in shaping behaviour. Additionally, the role of delivery science including management, supervision, and training processes is emphasized^[2].

Recent social norms interventions have focused largely on changing harmful behaviours, such as gender-based violence, alcohol consumption and child marriage. Social norms related interventions are fundamental and equally effective for addressing various forms of malnutrition, especially both stunting and anaemia, in any community setting. Perceptions of risk, outcome expectations, and access to IFA are key factors in effective social norms messaging for anaemia prevention.

The RANI (Reduction in Anaemia through Normative Interventions) project in Odisha tackled these factors through delivering group participatory learning modules in the community, targeting descriptive (one’s perceptions about others’ behaviour) and injunctive norms (one’s perceptions of social expectations regarding the behaviour). By focusing on topics like IFA supplementation, dietary diversity and social/gender norms, RANI was able to increase the odds of taking iron supplements in the community^[3].

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PCI India’s experience around social norms related interventions

• PCI India, through its various social norms’ inclusive projects is striving for change in behaviours of different target groups/communities (particularly marginalized including tribals) for various health & nutrition and social development issues (family planning, child marriage, dowry, domestic violence etc.). Some notable mentions are TA-DAY NRLM for integration of Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH at national level, JEEViKA Technical Support Program for HN integration- Bihar, Family Planning Convergence Program- Bihar, Transformative Action for Rural Adolescents- Bihar, Gender Transformative Model in 20 districts of Odisha, Umang project- Jharkhand and Women Rise Up against Child Marriage- Jharkhand etc.
• As part of a recent Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural Accelerated Agricultural Growth (CHIRAAG) project, utilizing a 360-degree approach, PCI India is adopting a layered social behaviour change strategy targeting key nutrition behaviours (during first 1000 days of life including anaemia in adolescents and non-pregnant women) at its first layer and social norms (including gender and socio-cultural practices) at its second. Measures of food security such as Integrated Farming System (IFS), establishment of nutri-garden and livestock models at household level will also be promoted.
• PCI India is also co-hosting South Asia Social Norm Learning Collaborative (SASNLC) in collaboration with the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC) (Ashoka University) to look deeper and beyond behaviour change in the domain of social norms to bring sustainability in its efforts for lasting progressive changes in the communities of target. It is a collaborative of organizations and individuals who are working to address and shift regressive social norms to bring about progressive changes for good health and gender equality/equity in the society.

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[1] Dempsey RC, McAlaney J, Bewick BM. A critical appraisal of the social norms approach as an interventional strategy for health-related behavior and attitude change. Front Psychol 2018;9:2180.

[2] Lamstein, S., B. Colaiezzi, P. Koniz-Booher, K. Beall, M. Anson, and T. Williams, Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) Project. USAID

[3] Erica Sedlander, Ichhya Pant, Jeffrey Bingenheimer, Hagere Yilma, Lipika Patro, Satyanarayan Mohanty, Rohini Ganjoo, Rajiv Rimal, How does a social norms-based intervention affect behaviour change? Interim findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Odisha, India. BMJ Open 2022;12:e053152. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053152

Author: Vineha Tatkar, Program Associate, SA-SNLC, PCI India

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Our subject matter experts for the critical conversation on ‘Linkages between Social Norms & Agency to Promote Children’s Rights & Justice’ – Dr Aparajita Gogoi* , Dr Vikas Choudhry** and Sudha Nair***, drew from their own extensive experience as well as participants’ accounts to bring out the critical takeaways from the event.  

This blog talks about one prominent theme in these takeaways, which was the centrality of context and intersectional identities in understanding social norms and agency, as well as in designing normative interventions. It follows the example of two 15-year-olds – Mona and Preeti, simplified for illustrative purposes. Mona comes from a town with a tight knit conservative community whereas Preeti is from a metropolitan city and an only child of a single mother.  

What happens when we take away context? 

Mona & Preeti are both adolescent girls. Even so, common sense will suggest that their upbringing, the agency they can exercise in their everyday life is significantly different. For example, interventions targeted at securing their menstrual rights would need to consider the different social norms and reference groups that affect their behaviour & agency – a cookie cutter approach won’t do. While Preeti might be able to start using painkillers after sensitization, Mona might not be able to do so, despite her wishes. An understanding of agency taken from a high-income context, such as Preeti’s, won’t generalise to other contexts.  

Researchers, program developers, M & E teams need to be sensitive of this context-specificity and tailor interventions and measurement tools accordingly. Theoretically sound interventions developed in a vacuum that don’t catch the nuances of Mona and Preeti’s lived experiences will likely be ineffective.  

The Who, What, When, Where’s – Contextualizing Agency & Norms 

The cookie cutter approach can be avoided only by acknowledging the diversity inherent in the target group.  

When we speak of children, we speak of a heterogenous group of people. Children from different socio-economic backgrounds, geographical regions, developmental stages, gender identities. Culture also decides difference in the extent and purview of agency between young people classified as children and as adolescents.  

Gender emerged as an especially critical variable during the conversation. Social norms continue to asymmetrically disadvantage everyone who is not a cisgendered male. As Dr Gogoi pointed out, “adolescent girls and women suffer the brunt of social norms because traditional gender expectations social norms have a much bigger [restrictive] impact on girls’ agency and decision-making powers than on boys“. 

The effect is compounded in the face of unforeseen circumstances like wars and pandemics where resources become scarce. During the pandemic, Mona’s brothers got first preference to attend online classes while she and her sister had to miss out most often. A similar trend in many families across geographical regions led to discontinuity in girls’ education.  

Considering all these variables is critical to developing effective social and behaviour change interventions to secure rights and advance justice.  

Factoring in Intersectionality of Identities  

Going a step further, it is also important to acknowledge that individuals are multi-layered. At any given time, Mona is a student, an aspiring scientist, a girl, a friend, a sister, a daughter – an amalgamation of these and many more identities.   

This intersectionality means that even when it comes to social norms around a single behaviour, different reference groups can have conflicting influences. For example, Preeti may have different normative expectations about the use of a menstrual cup from her relatives and from her friends. Moreover, her identity as a child may limit her agency and conflict with her identity as an environmentally conscious person.  

The impact of similar social norms on young people hailing from different social, economic, geographic backgrounds will likely be very different. Children from marginalised groups would experience the disadvantages more severely, and girl children even more so. 

Next Steps: Working with the Intricacies & Nuances

The recommendations from this critical conversation to inform the work around child rights are summarised here: 

• Measurement of agency should consider the spectrum of agency beyond the ability to act – as Dr Choudhry summarised, “the ability to express your goals, and have those goals set up according to the choices that you’re planning to make, and then ability to decide to act on those choices or voice out those opinions” as well as individual & collective agency. 
• Interventions for children should therefore also consider sensitization of adults since they are often the gatekeepers to the kind of services and facilities a child can access. 
• Context-specific and issue-specific knowledge of relevant social norms and agency should be developed so that the nuances are duly mapped 
• Formative, comparative and implementation research around social norms and agency should be undertaken to 
  • Understand what agency means and looks like in local contexts  
  • Track universal and culturally specific norms to inform programming 
  • Understand longitudinal effects of an intervention on a community 
• A multi stakeholder approach should be employed to collaborate and confer on projects, depending on areas of specialisation.  

To pull it all together, as Sudha emphasized, the goal is to decode and defragment to understand them better, so that programming can be sharper.  

Listen to the full conversation here

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*Dr Aparajita Gogoi – Executive Director, Centre for Catalyzing Change & National Coordinator, WRAI

**Dr Vikas Choudhry – Vice President, Public Health Practice, Sambodhi research and Communications Pvt Ltd, & South Asia Research Lead – Agency for All

***Sudha Nair – Director, Capacity Building, New Concept Centre for Development Communication

Author: Sushmita Mukherjee, Director – Gender and Adolescent Girls, PCI India

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The Social Norms Learning Collaborative (SNLC) organized a virtual critical conversation event, delving into the complex interplay between social norms and agency, specifically concerning the rights of children and adolescents. This intricate intersection gives rise to essential questions that challenge our understanding of societal expectations and individual empowerment.  

Dr. Abhijeet Pathak, Chief of Party, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership India Yash and Country Lead- Family– Family planning, Gender and Youth from Jhpiego, gave critical insights into this complex intersection. This blog aims at capturing key points highlighted during his keynote address during the virtual event organized on 20th September 2023.  

The Dynamic Nature of Social Norms

Social norms represent the ever-evolving standards that society imposes on behaviour, reactions, and actions. These norms define how society expects us to behave and adapt to our surroundings. However, it’s important to acknowledge that social norms are not fixed; they change in varying contexts and take time to evolve. This dynamic nature of social norms is crucial to understanding the tension between societal expectations and individual agency.

The Power of Agency

Agency is the inherent ability of an individual to make decisions about how they want to act, react, and behave. It is the voice within us that asserts itself, guiding our choices independently. The juxtaposition of social norms and agency creates a timeless debate. On one side, society often dictates behavioural patterns, while on the other, the individual’s internal compass drives them to choose their path.

Children’s Rights: Adding Complexity to the Equation

This conversation gains further complexity when we introduce the rights of children and adolescents into the mix. Child rights, as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and related documents, are guided by the premise of protecting children. However, these critical documents often treat all children as a homogeneous group, disregarding their diverse ages and needs.

The Challenge of Balancing Protection and Agency

The challenge arises from the tension between protecting children and nurturing their agency while considering their diverse needs that are shaped by age, gender, social contexts, individual capacities and interests. If we constantly protect and mould children to conform to societal expectations, we risk stifling their internal voices and inhibiting their natural growth. This dilemma highlights the need for a nuanced perspective on child rights—one that embraces both protection and empowerment and is responsive to their needs.

Child Rights’ Convention – Article 12, 13, 14: Recognizing Children’s Voices

Articles 12, 13, and 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasize children’s rights to form their own opinions, express themselves, and have their voices heard. These articles underscore the importance of acknowledging children’s evolving capacities and the need to include their perspectives in decision-making processes.

Moving Forward: Embracing Complexity

As we navigate this intricate terrain, several questions arise:

• Are Child Rights Homogeneous? How do we work collectively recognizing diverse needs and capacities of children?
• Developing Child Agency: How can we engage in a constructive debate on developing a child’s agency, even if it challenges prevailing social norms for children? What are the means and mediums to engage with children while respecting their autonomy?
• Balancing Social Norms and Agency: How can both social norms and a child’s agency be addressed by the development community? Finding a consensus on this path forward is essential to ensure we neither stifle children’s voices nor neglect their protection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the friction between social norms and agency is a driving force for societal change. Child and adolescent rights challenge us to find a delicate balance between protection and empowerment. By empowering young minds to express their agency, we not only help them flourish but also contribute to the evolution of societal norms. It’s time to embrace this complexity, recognizing that children have the potential to shape the future, provided we create the space for their voices to be heard.

Click here to listen to the full conversation.

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About SA-SNLC  

South Asia Social Norms Learning Collaborative (SASNLC) is a platform for discussing various facets of social norms, its impact on lives of men and women, programming to address regressive norms and measurement of the same. A platform for researchers, practitioners, academicians and other enthusiasts. PCI India and CSBC jointly host this platform in India.  

To know more about our work & become a member, click here 

Author: Sushmita Mukherjee, Director – Gender and Adolescent Girls, PCI India

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In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, access to technology and the internet has become a fundamental right, transforming the way we live, learn, work, and communicate. However, despite the progress made in expanding digital access, adolescent girls around the world still face significant barriers and gender norms that restrict their ability to harness the full potential of the digital age.

This blog on the International Day of Girl Child – 11^th October 2023, explores the importance of digital access for adolescent girls and how it can challenge and reshape traditional gender norms.

The Digital Divide: A Gender Disparity

The digital divide is a multifaceted issue that encompasses disparities in access to technology, digital literacy, and the opportunities that the internet provides. When we look at this divide through a gender lens, it becomes apparent that adolescent girls are often at a disadvantage. According to ‘The Mobile Gender Gap Report 2023’ women are 7% less likely than men to own a phone and 19% less likely to use mobile internet. According to a report by UNICEF, globally, 12% fewer girls than boys use the internet. This gap is more pronounced in regions with conservative gender norms, where girls are expected to conform to traditional roles and responsibilities.

As per a study conducted by PCI in Jharkhand in India, COVID-19 triggered a deeper mobile penetration in rural India, but the gender disparity remained. Girls only had access to their father’s or brothers’ phones and here too, their turn came last, with the phone and data charge nearly drained. Additionally, their usage was highly monitored and controlled.

This disparity, a reflection of the prevalent social norms, deprives them of opportunities of growth and development and significantly limits their agency.

Why is digital access important for adolescent girls?

Digital access serves as a means for exposure to different worldviews and can counter hermeneutic injustice. For adolescent girls, this could be the means to bring a shift in power dynamics and claim their rightful opportunities of growth.

Challenging Gender Norms

Digital access can be a powerful tool for challenging and dismantling traditional gender norms:

Promoting Gender Equality: The internet can serve as a platform for raising awareness about gender equality and advocating for women’s rights. Social media campaigns, online petitions, and blogs can all contribute to changing societal attitudes.

Showcasing Role Models: The digital world allows girls to access stories and profiles of successful women from diverse fields, inspiring them to aspire to careers and roles traditionally dominated by men.

Fostering Critical Thinking: Engaging with diverse online content and information can encourage girls to question stereotypes and think critically about gender norms and expectations.

Encouraging Mentorship: Online mentorship programs and networks can connect girls with female mentors who can provide guidance and support in pursuing their goals and ambitions.

Empowering Adolescent Girls

Digital access holds the key to empowering adolescent girls in crucial ways:

Education: Access to e-resources can significantly improve the quality of education for girls. Online courses, tutorials, and educational websites enable girls to access materials that may not be accessible locally.

Economic Opportunities: The digital economy offers numerous opportunities for remote work, freelance jobs, and entrepreneurship. By gaining digital skills and access to online marketplaces, adolescent girls can become financially independent and break free from traditional gender norms that limit their economic participation.

Voice and Expression: The internet provides a platform for girls to express themselves, share their experiences, and engage in social and political discussions. Digital spaces allow them to challenge stereotypes and advocate for gender equality.

Healthcare Information: Access to accurate and reliable healthcare information is crucial for adolescent girls. The internet can serve as a valuable resource for learning about reproductive health, mental health, and other vital topics.

Support Networks: Online communities and support groups can offer girls a sense of belonging and the opportunity to connect with peers who share their interests and experiences.

How to improve digital access among adolescent girls through norm shifting?

 Social norms are formed through complex interactions between “what we do, what we believe others do, and what we believe others approve of and expect us to do”.

Shifting the social norms thus requires communication with members of the reference groups about a change in what behaviour is considered acceptable – in the current example, improved quality of access & increased autonomy over digital presence. For this, it’s essential to study the pathways of the normative transmissions across generations and the perceptions of the reference group members.

Moreover, norm shifting interventions, should be based on the socio-ecological model, which means that both social and systemic systems need to converge to shift norms from being regressive to progressive. At the household level, the role of parenting, family bonding and progressive outlook are the critical factors to accelerate norm shifting journeys.

Development of individual and collective agency is also essential to bring about personal and social awareness about the ’why’ and the ‘how’ of normative shifts. Collective agency needs to be mobilised as the banner carrier for progressive change, not restrictive norms.

Conclusion

Access to digital technology and the internet is not just about connectivity; it’s about empowerment. Adolescent girls who have access to digital resources can challenge and redefine gender norms that have constrained them for generations.

By providing educational opportunities, economic independence, a platform for expression, and the ability to connect with like-minded individuals, digital access can be a catalyst for change. It’s imperative that we continue to work towards bridging the digital gender divide, at all levels, ensuring that every adolescent girl has the tools and opportunities she needs to thrive in the digital age and challenge traditional gender norms.

Empowered girls can become the leaders, innovators, and advocates who shape a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

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[Featured Image Credits: Julianne Birch from Getty Images Signature]

[The article is written by Akhil Neelam with editing support from Sakshi Hallan and Sugandha Parmar]

The peer-reviewed pilot study titled Friendships, Networks and Solidarity: Women’s Political Participation through Self-Help Group Memberships by Centre for Gender And Politics (CGAP) attempted to find evidence for how Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India are aiding the political empowerment of women at the grassroots. The study found that, over the years, government efforts and nonprofits’ role in empowering women in SHGs positively impacted women joining politics and delivering local governance.

An SHG is usually a group of 10-20 women from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Under National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), the national government promotes over 80 lakh SHGs, having over 8.4 crore women across India. These groups have become avenues to promote livelihood opportunities and strengthen women’s roles in communities. Through CGAP’s work, we also anecdotally understood that, increasingly, SHG women are entering politics, especially at the local governance level.

As women enter political spaces, gender norms can create barriers to women’s political leadership and limit their participation in public life. While our study did not explicitly explore the evolution of social norms, we did observe significant shifts that influenced the representation of women in politics and the norms established by women leaders. In this article, I will delve further into these observations from a social norms perspective.

As part of CGAP’s pilot study, in-depth qualitative interviews were held with 12 Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) and election contestants who were part of SHGs across 4 states. Additionally, 5 stakeholder interviews were conducted with nonprofit professionals working with SHG women for several years.

Social Networks and Participation in Public Spaces

Women’s access to public spaces is often limited in rural areas; many are restricted to family events, agriculture and labour. This further contributes to a lack of engagement in political discourses and engagement.

In this study, thanks to SHGs, our participants reported that they could interact with women of other villages, officials of local governments, become politically aware and contest elections. 10 out of the 12 participants revealed that they initially had no public social life before the SHG was formed; they mainly stepped out of the house to attend to the field or the animals. Only after they joined the SHG did they have a public social space to go to. In the interviews with our participants from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, when the participants were asked what their lives were like before the SHG was formed, they said that the mobility they have now was beyond their imagination. “We could leave our home. Our horizons expanded. We now sit with the women of other villages. We can go out and interact more, I don’t think I would have been in this position without the help of the SHG”, a participant said.

Through gradually attending Panchayat meetings, discussing civic issues, and expressing their demands and concerns in political forums, SHGs have helped to redefine gender norms in terms of public engagement for our participants.

Gender Norms In Domestic Spaces

Our study showed that SHGs had also impacted social norms in our participants’ domestic spaces. While changing traditional norms around caregiving was undoubtedly challenging, our participants reported gaining greater intra-household bargaining power due to their involvement in SHGs.  For a participant, being part of an SHG and having a certain level of education enabled her to develop the confidence to approach her family and talk about participating in politics. She also revealed that her husband helped her fill out the form for her candidature. The resistance she faced was from the women in her household. She needed to ensure that she fulfilled her domestic responsibilities as a caregiver to earn her way out.

For most of our respondents, families were supportive of their political journeys. Few found themselves empowered to negotiate with their families to navigate through the social norm of caregiving. For this, they are sanctioned with a double burden. On the one hand, their mobility and access increased, but on the other, their predetermined domestic gender roles did not change.

Despite these challenges, it’s crucial to recognise that the shift in social norms occurred in a way that led families to accept and support women’s public social lives and political journeys.

Gender Norms in Public Leadership

Public leadership positions are typically held by men, while women are primarily responsible for domestic duties. However, our study revealed that participation in an SHG empowered our participants to challenge this norm and provided them with mutual support in a male-dominated space. By coming together, they gained greater agency and influence in decision-making, which allowed them to assert their presence and contribute to public life.

During our study, we asked all participants if they attended Panchayat meetings regularly, and all responded with a resounding yes. One participant from Gujarat, who had recently been elected as a ward member, noted that she received information about meeting times and agendas ahead of time, while another participant shared that she took the initiative to call meetings herself. Such control over the timing of meetings illustrates a sense of ownership over public spaces. When asked how she made herself heard in the Panchayat, one participant from Gujarat explained that she would simply pull her chair to the center of the room and sit on it, demonstrating her confidence in working for the people. She remarked, “They know I am working for the people. You just need to have ‘aatma vishwas’ (self-confidence).”

In spaces that have been traditionally male-dominated, women acquiring skills such as public speaking, stakeholder engaging and mobilising, and knowledge on government and policy matters by being part of SHGs empowered them to take on public leadership roles.

Conclusion

While our pilot study indicated that Self Help Groups have positively shifted some gender norms for our participants, it is essential to note that contextual complexities are involved. For some elected women, caregiving responsibilities were eased, but it became a double burden for some participants. The study presented a foundational understanding of how networking and skills gained through SHGs helped our participants navigate some gender norms. Further research into probing how Self Help Groups are shaping women’s political careers from a norms perspective and how these women are challenging and shifting gender norms in their local contexts is recommended.

Author’s bio

Akhil Neelam is the Co-founder and Director of Centre for Gender And Politics (CGAP), a think tank working towards gender-inclusive politics in South Asia. He is a member of South Asia Social Norms Learning Collaborative (SA-SNLC). He tweets @akhilneelam.

Author: Avelin Abraham, Program Associate, Social Norms Learning Collaborative, PCI India

Social norms, though invisible, tend to structure, shape, and navigate behavior of an individual at different situations

Do you know that behavior and norms are interconnected? An individual’s behavior is closely intertwined to the cultural and social norms that surrounds oneself. Normative change is a dynamic process which gives behavior several opportunities to shape.

Subjective perception and motivation are focal points that can influence behavior and can stimulate norm change. Individuals have subjective perceptions about how to behave in a community, however, they also display intrinsic motivation to understand norms. Hence, they do not wish to deviate from the perceived normal in their communities. To change a behavior, researchers suggest that one must influence one’s perception about a norm. (Tankard, 2016)

While considering the two main distinctions of norms that is descriptive “norms that describe typical behaviors” and subjective norms “norms that describe desirable behavior,” evidence reflect that the former has seen increased and diverse changes in behavior with “boomerang effects.” In a study conducted to understand the trends of voting messages, it was found that descriptive messages on increased number of voters, will influence the non-voters to come a cast a vote rather than messages that reflect that voting is a civic duty or saying that the proportion of people voting is low. (Gerber, 2009)

Role of Reference Groups

Several stakeholders play pivotal roles in reinforcing behavioral change on an individual or community level. Normative change that influences one’s behavior can be through internal or external forces and many at times, a specific reference group plays a pivotal role in approving/ disapproving a specific behavior. Apart from immediate family and friends, one’s social network which includes people with power (community leaders, religious priests etc.,) can also intervene and influence most behaviors and subsequently advance a normative change.

The success of norm interventions is related to three components − individual behavior, group summary information and institutional signals. To draw an example for the same, when a boy sees all his classmates picking up and throwing used plastic bottles in garbage and reads in his environmental science book that it is important to not litter, he will infer that littering is not a typical behavior, hence would try and refrain from doing so and may also pick up litter and dispose it.

References can also be fictional characters popularly used in norm change interventions. Fictional characters that resemble and relate to the larger audience are used as social referents to describe the socially acceptable behavior which advance certain norm change. An example of this would be an animated audio-visual material used for awareness generation.

Is behavior change considered the most effective way for social norm interventions?

One needs to understand that norming is a cyclical pattern in which norms are produced over a period. Researchers and practitioners tend to evaluate social norms, by checking whether a behavior is typical/ desirable with reference to a context. Once evaluated, they try to transform the behavior. Subject matter experts view behavior change as one the most cost-effective ways to advance normative change.
However, substantial research and evidence have not been generated to understand whether there have been large scale effective changes by just influencing behavior for normative change.
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South Asia Social Norms Learning Collaborative (SASNLC) is a platform for discussing various facets of social norms, its impact on lives of men and women, programming to address regressive norms and measurement of the same. A platform for researchers, practitioners, academicians, and other enthusiasts. PCI and CSBC (Ashoka University) jointly host this platform in India.

To know more about our work please visit

References

1. Yamin, P.; Fei, M. et.al. (2019). Using Social Norms to Change Behavior and Increase Sustainability in the Real World: A Systematic Review of Literature. MDPI. doi:10.3390/su11205847
2. Tankard, M.; Paluck, E.L. Norm Perception as a Vehicle for Social Change. Soc. Issues Policy Rev. 2016, 10,181–211.
3. Gerber, A.S.; Rogers, T. Descriptive Social Norms and Motivation to Vote: Everybody’s Voting and so Should You. J. Polit. 2009, 71, 178–191. [Cross Ref]

Author: Sushmita Mukherjee, Director – Gender and Adolescent Girls

Mothers and daughters share a crucial relationship that needs to be nurtured and strengthened to gain voice, choice and power, not only within families but in communities at large

25th November 2022 is the day to reiterate our pledge to resist, reject and remove all forms of violence against women and girls. This is irrespective of geography, language, caste, colour, race, ethnicity, and so on.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women calls for attention to ensure a fundamental human right for all – the right to live life to its fullest potential without any fear of threat or discrimination and enjoy a dignified life.

However, statistics reveal how women are denied a fair chance for a dignified life. As per NFHS-5 (2019-20) for the state of Jharkhand, 1/3rd of women aged 20-24 years reported to have been married off before they attained 18 years of age, while a similar proportion of women (38%) were reported to be illiterate. Only 1/3rd of women (33.2%) claimed to have completed 10 or more years of schooling. What’s even worse is that nearly 30% of women in the age group of 18-49 years in the state reported experiencing spousal violence.

Normative power dynamics are the root cause of this violation of human rights of women and girls. It is time for us to find feasible ways for shifting such regressive social/gender norms that restrict women from developing an agency, right from their adolescence, hence denying them a chance to explore their true potential. We need to introspect on how human relationships and their dynamics can transform themselves into more egalitarian and respectful ones.

Of the many relationships that need to be addressed for shifting regressive social norms, I would like to focus today on the closest bond that exists in this world – the relationship between MOTHER and DAUGHTERS.

An Enmeshed Bond

Social Norms are the unwritten social rules of roles and expectations of individuals by their sex and relationship in their specific sociological ecosystem. Right from childhood, individuals grow up while consciously and sub-consciously imbibing behaviours, actions, and reactions of others to form their own perception about roles, expectations and sanctions. Adolescence is the crucial phase of life that heralds the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is the critical phase when vulnerable young minds are easily prone to get influenced. Adolescent girls in this societal journey start following and falling into the roles of their mothers. As caretakers, mothers also directly or indirectly pass on their own expectations to their daughters. Thus, the relationship between mother and daughter is very crucial, as the aspirations of mothers influence in shaping the life and aspirations of their daughters. In the relationship structure of the family, a mother is a significant member who can not only influence her daughter but can also raise her voice and influence other family members to shift/negotiate for any changes in social norms related to decisions for their daughters.

Thus, mother and daughter is a crucial relationship that needs to be nurtured and strengthened to gain voice, choice and power not only within families but in communities at large.

Umang

The Umang project is one such attempt by PCI India, in collaboration with JSLPS and ICRW, to develop a model to strengthen the bond between mothers and their adolescent daughters, to stop Child/Early Marriages. PCI is piloting the model in 2 blocks of Jharkhand (Godda Sadar and Nala), by layering upon the existing SHG network to test it at a scale.

Through 21 modular sessions during SHG meetings, it focuses on triggering reflective discussions among members to understand the harms of Child/Early marriage and how mothers can take steps to bring changes at Household and Village levels. Mothers discuss topics like life skills, sexual & reproductive health & rights (SRHR), schooling, nutrition, role of parents, career options, etc. Umang modules focus on building competencies of mothers to enable their daughters to chase their aspirations for a better life and simultaneously negotiate with family members to invest in their daughters’ education, rather than opting for Child/Early Marriage, which is a gross violation of human rights and child rights.

A recent review study (May 2022) informed how mothers are now leading the conversations with their daughters at household levels, which is more about school and education and lesser about their marriage. Mothers, who themselves are victims and survivors of early marriage, are eagerly learning about the possible options for delaying marriage and about the economic advancement of girls. SHG women are keeping a track of all girls in their neighbourhood to ensure that all girls are in school. No girl should miss school or go missing on a social pretext.
However, the role of community and system is essential for providing an enabling environment for the duo to survive in their endeavour to bring change. It’s time for collaboration across policies and communities to prepare adolescent girls to claim their space, choice, voice and power in society. Let there be quality education with all possible options for gaining skills and competencies; and becoming ready to face the world and make space for self with own identity.

Recommendations from Umang:

1. Invest in parenting for both mothers and fathers. This is essential for parents to learn, understand, realize and accordingly bond with their daughters. This will enable them to support their daughters’ journey to their ambitions in a more organized way with conviction.
2. Invest in interventions at scale. Norm Shifting interventions should be undertaken at scale so that a concrete mass of communities can learn and change together. This will enable deviants to reject the sanctions and enjoy the change as a group.
3. Attend to bolster an enabling environment across family, village, community/society and systemic/policy levels. The service and entitlements need to reach the intended population on time with quality.
4. Invest in measurement methodologies, including data and indicators, to essentially capture and show how micro-shifts in normative features are enabling the journey towards a violence-free life for women and girls.
5. Invest in campaigns to flip the impressions of ‘good family, ideal man, ideal leader’. Rather propagate the idea that ‘violence-free family, relationship and community’ is a matter of pride, gives higher stature in society and is the way forward for life on earth.