Transforming gender norms for girls’ empowerment: Individual and community behavior change

 Rigid gender norms that influence health, education and economic development can have profound negative impacts for girls’ aspirations and opportunities. Norms can contribute to gender-based violence, child, early and forced marriage, limitations on reproductive control and exclusion from education, employment and access to healthcare services. Evidence also suggests that gender-related factors create significant barriers to accessing and practicing healthy behaviors. Gender-intentional programming aims to upend social structures, policies and social norms in two ways: By fostering critical examination of inequalities and gender roles, norms and dynamics; and simultaneously strengthening positive norms that support gender equality and an enabling environment. Panelists will discuss findings, lessons learned and challenges in developing and implementing genderintentional programming. Increased recognition of how gender norms impact development outcomes can encourage greater investments in interventions that address gender norms with the potential to achieve gender equality and sustained health behaviors across the life course.