Social Norms Across Sectors: Three Case Studies

In the development sphere, there is a growing realization that addressing social norms is key for successfully shifting behaviors within and across sectors. These three ‘deep-dive’ case studies look at programming done in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), energy and infrastructure, and education sectors.

• Energy and Infrastructure: This case study on the Engendering Utilities Program at the Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO) in Jordan looks at what social norms meant for one energy workforce participation project, and shows the importance of women in leadership roles as a catalyst for progress on gender equality at work. Read it here.
• Education: This case study on the Literacy Achievement and Retention Activity (LARA) in Uganda looks at what social norms meant for one education project, and how integrated programming that focuses on self-reflection can begin shift the norms around violence among teachers, students, and communities. Read it here.
• WASH: This case study on The Uplifting Women’s Participation in Water-Related Decision-Making (UPWARD) project looks at what social norms meant for one WASH project, and demonstrates a number of cross-cutting benefits around both gender equality and WASH outcomes. Read it here.