Abstract:
Background: Gender norms practiced by respective societies increase the risk of violence by men against women.
To date, there is a dearth of research evidence on changing gender norms through health promotion approaches
around the globe, including in Sri Lanka. This study provides an evaluation of effectiveness of a health promotion
intervention in changing the acceptance of gender norms among women.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two rural villages in Anuradhapura district in Sri Lanka
including women who have a child under five years of age. One village was allocated to receive an intervention
developed based on a health promotion approach and the other village was a control. A community based
mechanism to question selected gender norms among women was developed as the intervention. The pre- and
post-intervention assessments of the level of acceptance of gender norms were done using an interviewer
administered questionnaire and by using focus group discussions.
Results: Following the intervention, acceptances of prominent gender norms were changed significantly among
the women receiving the intervention method. The control group showed no changes towards the acceptance of
gender norms during this period. Women in the intervention group had higher levels of self-reported positive
behavior changes and greater understanding of gender concepts compared to the control group.
Conclusion: The acceptance of gender norms among women in rural villages in Sri Lanka can be changed by a
community based intervention targeting gender norms
