Global community of professionals working in Communication for Development
Developed by the Center for Media & Health for Girls Not Brides, this report looks at the opportunities and challenges of Entertainment-Education as a way to address child marriage. Informed by a range of practical and theoretical insights, the report analyses a selection of current initiatives, draws out key lessons and provides top tips for practitioners and donors of Entertainment-Education initiatives.
Click here for full report.
Our latest UK C4D Focus Session discussed the topic of Social Norms (Wednesday 28th November 2016). Members brought their experience of working with social norms from around the world, as well as reflecting on social norms closer to home. From violence against children, to smoking, to female genital cutting. The smoking ban in the UK, for example, was discussed as a demonstration of legislation prompting a shift in a social norm — towards smoking being increasingly negatively sanctioned by peoples’ disapproval, while being positively sanctioned among those adolescents who want to rebel or belong to a ‘cool’/transgressive group. The pressures of social media were explored in this context.
Key questions arising from the group were: how can social norms be measured? Is there a figure — a tipping point, or a percentage of a population practicing a behaviour — for when a social norm has been abandoned? Can we establish a hierarchy of social norms, to distinguish those which are hardest to shift from those which are easier?
Further reading, shared by the group:
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is the most widespread form of abuse worldwide, affecting on average one third of all women globally in their lifetime. VAWG undermines the mental and physical health of women and girls, violates their human rights and can have a negative impact on long-term peace and stability. In line with its international and national commitments, preventing VAWG is a top priority for the UK Government and DFID.
Although the development community has long recognised the importance of attitudes, norms, and beliefs that justify violence and gender inequality in perpetuating violence against women and girls (VAWG), there has often been a lack of clarity about the definitions of and relationships between these constructs and the practical implications for programme design and evaluation. This Guidance Note therefore aims to clarify these constructs, summarise the role of social norms in sustaining harmful behaviours and contributing to VAWG, and provide practical guidance and advice for DFID advisors and programme managers on how to identify and address harmful social norms in the context of programming to prevent VAWG.