Adolescent boys and girls learning, reproducing, and resisting gender norms in Colombia and Uganda: a qualitative comparative study

Abstract

There is growing interest in studying inequitable gender norms and their impact on health and wellbeing, particularly among adolescents. Studies have shown that discriminatory gender norms limit girls’ access to power within their families and communities, reduce their educational and economic opportunities, and alter their own aspiration and ambitions for their lives. This comparative qualitative study sought to understand how gender norms manifest themselves in the lives of adolescents in two distinct settings: Uganda and Colombia. A total of 133 young people aged 13–21 years from Colombia and 109 from Uganda participated in either focus group discussions or individual semi-structured interviews in May 2017. Results reveal similarities and differences in how norms are learned, reinforced and resisted and how intersecting social factors affect the ability of adolescents to facilitate norm change. A key similarity was the primacy of parents and peers in the transmission and reinforcement of gender norms. However, setting-specific material and structural factors shaped the manifestation of power and policing of gender norms as well as the ability of young people to contest them. Lessons are identified for the future design of effective gender transformative interventions with adolescents.