LINEA (Learning Initiative on Norms, Exploitation and Abuse) hosted a free webinar on 28 July 2015. The collaborative webinar was presented by Julian Barr (Itad), Emeka Nwankwo (V4C), and Dr Nancy Glass.
Using case studies from programmes in Nigeria, South Sudan and Somalia, these presenters discussed how they measured social norms to evaluate programmes aimed to increase gender equity and reduce sexual violence.
Voices for Change (V4C) Nigeria
Julian Barr and Emeka Nwankwo discussed the work of the DFID-funded Voices for Change (V4C) Nigeria programme in measuring social norms. V4C used radio, social media and face-to-face engagement to reduce attitudes and behaviours that discriminate against women and girls. V4C Nigeria designed and implemented a survey of 5,000 men, women, boys and girls in four Nigerian states to assess the status of these attitudes and behaviours. The survey was structured using models of social norms and social norm measurement from Bicchieri, Mackie and others. This webinar covered the survey design and illustrated findings from the baseline survey.
Communities Care (CC) project
Dr Nancy Glass discussed the UNICEF-led Communities Care (CC) project, which aimed to change social norms on sexual violence against women and girls in humanitarian contexts. The project included focus groups and interviews with diverse stakeholders in Somalia and South Sudan to develop and test measures of relevant social norms. The impact evaluation was designed to evaluate outcomes (e.g. change in norms) over time (baseline, midline and endline) with 800 community members across intervention and control areas in each of the two countries. Baseline surveys have been safely administered to 800 community members per site and 200 women and girls seeking healthcare, and midline data collection is currently underway.
Presenters
Julian Barr is Co-Chairman of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) consultancy –Itad Ltd – based in the UK. He is also Results Director on V4C Nigeria. Julian works on measurement of change and performance in a number of fields in international development, including governance, gender, climate change, health diplomacy, market development, research uptake, evaluation and value for money. He has been at Itad for 14 years; prior to this he was an academic at Newcastle University and an agricultural scientist working in the Pacific islands.
Dr Nancy Glass is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and Associate Director at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health. She conducts multidisciplinary studies across diverse global settings to test employment, economic empowerment and safety interventions to improve the health and well-being of survivors of gender-based violence and their families.
Emeka Nwankwo plays a leading role in measuring social norms for V4C Nigeria. He has been involved in the design and implementation of research and interventions including an incidence modelling analysis of the distribution of new HIV infections in seven Nigerian states; a socio-economic study that fed into ADB/AWF plans for the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply and sanitation systems to meet its 2025 demands in Liberia; and a policy analysis of the status of women in legal frameworks in Nigeria. Previously, much of his work has addressed issues of institutional reform and supporting development agencies to improve their effectiveness.
