Social norm(s) addressesd:
“Men do not need to concern themselves with SRH” “Men should be the sole decisionmakers in the household”
Organisation: MSI
MSI has been implementing the Husband Schools (Ecoles des Maris) in Mali and Niger. Through group sessions, men are taken through a curriculum covering SRH and general health topics, turning them into male champions.
Evidence brief coming soon!Social norm(s) addressesd:
“Men do not need to concern themselves with family planning methods” “Men should be the sole decision-makers in the household”
Organisation: FHI360, MSI, other partners
The Emanzi programme creates male champions in rural communities. Through group sessions and engagements, the intervention works to increase communication between men and their partners, improve couples’ relationships, and promote shared decision-making, while preparing Emanzi men to be role models for other men in their communities.
Further informationSocial norm(s) addressesd:
“Adolescents should not use contraception”
Organisation: MSI
MSI Uganda’s Refer-a-Friend intervention aimed to empower adolescents to become peer champions, breaking down harmful norms around adolescent sexuality, using using referral cards, bracelets, as well as provider-side youth-friendly improvements. Results showed an average 45% increase in the monthly number of adolescent clients (about 5.4 more per clinic), and an average increase in the monthly proportion of adolescent clients by 5.3%. Nearly 2,000 adolescents became new FP users as a result of the intervention during the six months of implementation.
Evidence briefSocial norm(s) addressesd:
“To be seen as successful in the community men should have a large family”; “A woman’s worth is linked only to her ability to bear and bring up children”
Organisation: MSI
Gagarabadau uses three complementary strategies: Tea Vendor business training, mobiliser-led peer to peer conversations and the diffusion of the term ‘Gagarabadau’ (a Hausa term used to describe a respected man) to engage men and address social norms linking large families to men’s status and the role of women in family decision-making and income generation.
Evidence briefSocial norm(s) addressesd:
“New wives are expected to give birth early in their marriage to prove their worth in their new family.” & “Good wives do not use family planning without their husband’s permission.”
Organisation: MSI – Sahel countries
La Famille Ideale is a suite of participatory tools for use by community mobilisers. The tools (a game and facilitated couples’ conversation) target adolescent women directly as well as their husbands and other key influencers (such as mothers-in-law). LFI is being used by all four of MSI’s programmes in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal) to create awareness and demand for the quality contraception services offered by MSI teams.
The tools:
Social norm(s) addressesd:
“Unmarried adolescents should not use contraception”
Organisation: MSI Zambia
This is a good example of leveraging reference groups for social norms change. Marie Stopes Zambia works with the health facility team to share local statistics on adolescent SRH like adolescent ANC attendance or deliveries (proxy measures to highlight the burden of teenage pregnancy) with community leaders during engagement meetings. In addition, community leaders are engaged in a ”path game” activity here to understand the adolescent SRH journey and the challenges they face These are exercises that build empathy and understanding for adolescents among leaders, allowing them to walk in the shoes of young women and understand how the rights of adolescents align with the priorities of their community.
Further Information (internal MSI only)