Publication: Rebel with a Cause: Effects of a Gender Norms Intervention for Adolescents in Somalia
Date
2023-09-15
ISSN
Published
2023-09-15
Author(s)
Brar, Rajdev
Buehren, Niklas
Papineni, Sreelakshmi
Sulaiman, Munshi
Abstract
Gender inequality and restrictive
norms are often reinforced and internalized during
adolescence, influencing pivotal life choices. This paper
presents results from a randomly-assigned gender norms
intervention for young adolescents in Somalia that led to
greater support for gender equality in reported attitudes
among both girls and boys. In a novel lab-in-the-field
experiment designed to observe social group dynamics,
treated adolescents were also found to be less likely to
succumb to peer pressure to conform when stating their
gender attitudes in public. Perceptions of gender norms
appears to shift for boys, leading to a greater public
expression of gender egalitarian ideals. Furthermore, the
findings show improved adolescent mental health, increased
caring behavior towards siblings of the opposite sex, and a
higher likelihood of involvement in household chores by
boys. A complementary gender norms intervention for parents
had limited marginal impact on the attitudes and behaviors
of adolescents. The results suggest that gender norms
interventions can be effective in influencing the attitudes
and public discourse around gender equality, even in early adolescence.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Brar, Rajdev; Buehren, Niklas; Papineni, Sreelakshmi; Sulaiman, Munshi. 2023. Rebel with a Cause: Effects of a Gender Norms Intervention for Adolescents in Somalia. Policy Research Working Papers; 10567. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40357 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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