Gender Norms & Equality

Better Work is a flagship partnership between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) improving working conditions and labor rights in the global garment industry. Operating in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua, and Vietnam, the program combines factory assessments, advisory services, and worker-manager training to improve compliance with ILO core labor standards. Independent impact assessments show increased factory productivity, reduced sexual harassment, increased women's access to prenatal care, decreased gender pay gaps, and workers reporting fairer hours, improved pay, and stronger workplace communication.

A global social media movement engaging men and boys in gender equality and ending violence against women. Operating across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in 70+ countries, the campaign uses hashtag activism, personal storytelling, and viral challenges to shift masculine norms. Features include #HeForShe solidarity pledges, #16Days of Activism content calendars, and localized campaigns like India's 'Ring the Bell' and South Africa's 'One Man Can.' The digital movement complements on-ground programming to create multi-level behavior change.

An annual USD 100,000 award recognizing outstanding initiatives advancing girls' and women's education globally. Past laureates include CAMFED, Room to Read, Girl Child Network Kenya, and programs from 25+ countries demonstrating scalable models for gender equity in education.

ActionAid DR Congo, in partnership with Action des Volontaires pour la Solidarité et le Développement (AVSD), has launched a project aimed at improving access to safe, inclusive, and quality education as well as protection services for children and women affected by conflicts in the Kirotshe health zone, Masisi territory, North Kivu, DRC. This project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), will be implemented from February 2026 to July 2027.

This initiative focuses on addressing social and gender norms to promote sustainable change in family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) in East and Southern Africa. Through the Learning Circles approach, SBC practitioners shared experiences and insights to tackle deeply rooted norms and improve access to FP/RH services.

This article discusses formative research conducted in coastal Ghana to inform the development of a culturally relevant multi-component intervention that combines parenting support with parental mental health strategies. The findings highlight facilitators and barriers to positive parenting and mental health, emphasizing the need for community-based programs to improve child and family well-being.

This program focuses on addressing deeply rooted social and gender norms to achieve sustainable change in family planning and reproductive health in East and Southern Africa. It leverages peer perspectives and learning circles to promote social and behavior change tailored to local contexts.

A couple communication intervention in Oromia, Ethiopia, developed using a human-centered design framework, demonstrated that encouraging open conversations about pregnancy and childbirth between couples leads to improved maternal and child health outcomes. The intervention utilized audio devices with radio stories modeling healthy, gender-equitable relationships.

This article discusses the short film 'Water Angel,' which explores the Black maternal health crisis through a poetic love story. It highlights how the film was integrated into a maternal health-focused session in Baltimore to foster empathy and identify critical moments for systemic change.

A study by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs analyzed factors influencing modern contraceptive use among young married women in Ethiopian cities. Key drivers include radio exposure, contraceptive knowledge, and family size, with significant regional disparities in usage rates.