Honour and Prestige: The influence of social norms on violence against women and girls in Karnataka, Southern India

Abstract

This paper draws on the findings from two programme evaluations implemented by the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT). These programmes aim to reduce girl school drop-out and child marriage and to decrease female sex workers’ experience of intimate partner violence. The study found that social norms play an important role in driving violence against women and girls, and in sustaining practices such as child marriage. Understanding how social norms operate will help design better interventions.