On Norms and Agency : Conversations about Gender Equality with Women and Men in 20 Countries

This report provides tremendous insight
on gender norms an area that has been resistant to change,
and that constrains achievement of gender equality across
many diverse cultures. The report synthesizes data collected
from more than 4,000 women and men in 97 communities across
20 countries. It is the largest dataset ever collected on
the topic of gender and development, providing an
unprecedented opportunity to examine potential patterns
across communities on social norms and gender roles,
pathways of empowerment, and factors that drive acute
inequalities. The analysis raises the profile of persistent
social norms and their impact on agency, and catalyzes
discourse on the many pathways that create opportunities for
women and men to negotiate transformative change. The report
is underpinned by the fact that arguably the single most
important contribution to development is to unleash the full
power of half the people on the planet women. It underscores
how crucial making investments in learning, supporting
innovations that reduce the time costs of women s mobility,
and developing a critical mass of women and men pushing the
boundaries of entrenched social norms are in enhancing
women s agency and capacity to aspire.