Overview The goal of CARE-GBV is to strengthen USAID’s collective response to gender-based violence (GBV) in development programming globally. This brief introduces the definition of social norms, including gender norms, and how they relate to GBV, as well as various tools to identify and address social norms. The information provided here will support USAID Mission staff and implementing partners working to promote gender equity and norms that foster healthy relationships. By identifying context-specific social norms, program implementers can promote equitable norms in their program activities. Making the link between attitudes, behaviors, and norms Norms are not the same as attitudes and behaviors, nor do they always align. The primary difference is that attitudes and behaviors are individual beliefs and actions that a person has or does, which may or may not be informed by social factors. Norms are collective beliefs about what is typical and appropriate. A woman may have a personal attitude that partners should share household responsibilities, but the norm in her community is that it is acceptable for women to take on most of the household work and childcare. Key Points • Social norms are collective beliefs about what is typical or appropriate. They can promote equitable or harmful behaviors or practices. • Social norms are among the multilevel factors that underpin specific behaviors and practices. • Gender norms are a type of social norm that influence behavior based on expected gender roles and responsibilities. • One root cause of GBV is the harmful gender norm that women and men are unequal. What are social and gender norms? When we walk into the market or a clinic, we most likely wait in a line to receive a service. There may not be a sign telling us to wait in line, but we might see others in line and believe that others expect us to follow this norm. Social norms are the unwritten rules that most people follow. Social norms are embedded in communities, systems, and structures. A gender norm is a type of social norm. Among the characteristics of gender norms is the strong role of power in maintaining norms that normalize inequality between women and men.
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How to identify and advance equitable social norms
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