A woman using a laptop computer © i_am_zews/Shutterstock/1737008405
© i_am_zews/Shutterstock/1737008405

ALIGN and guest blog posts and interviews

Read our series of blog posts from the ALIGN team and guest writers that discuss and highlight work aiming to challenge and change gender norms across the world. You can also find interviews with experts conducted by the ALIGN team. The ALIGN blog captures diverse and topical opinions on gender norms change from across our Community of Practice (please note, views expressed are not necessarily the same as those of ALIGN). If you'd like to write a blog post, please contact us. 

You may also be interested in ALIGN's case studies on gender norms.

Blog

7 January 2022

Number ten on a jetty. BMJ/Shutterstock ID: 111378512
10 things we learnt in 2021
Authors: Rachel Marcus, Emily Subden

Published by: ALIGN

Interview

15 December 2021

Hands operating video game controllers playing a football-base game. © REDPIXEL/shutterstock 537529714
The role-modelling power of storytelling: interview with Helen Wang on how edutainment can help to shift norms
Authors: Faria A. Nasruddin, Helen Wang

Published by: ALIGN

Interview

6 December 2021

Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) flickr.com/photos/168436416@N06/32207455997
Past changes and current trends on gender equality in the news media: interview with Ammu Joseph
Authors: Ammu Joseph, Faria A. Nasruddin

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

25 November 2021

Original illustration provided by Maia Bergh, Design by Maia, 2021.
Does marching for change, change anything? Why mobilising against male violence changes everything
Authors: Caroline Harper, Emilie Tant

Published by: ODI

Blog

9 November 2021

Demonstrators raise placards at one of the protests outside COP26 in Glasgow, November 2021 ©Toby Parkes/Shutterstock/2070571724
Gender Day at COP26: We must listen to women building environmental movements
Author: Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

8 November 2021

Diagram from the blog
Norms Changing Strategies - West Africa Lessons
Authors: Judi Aubel, Mamadou Coulibaly

Published by: The Communication Initiative Network

Blog

26 October 2021

Flowers with messages about women’s safety left by people who attended a vigil for Sarah Everard in Clapham Common. March 2021, London. Credit: Vincenzo Lullo/Shutterstock.com
What do recent high-profile cases of male violence in the UK tell us about gender norms?
Author: Emilie Tant

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

29 September 2021

war word banner
The virus doesn’t understand war rhetoric: Why the ‘strong-man’ approach to COVID-19 harms us all
Authors: Peny Rahmadhani, Fiona Vaz, Rizki A. Affiat

Published by: ALIGN

Interviews

1 October 2020

Microphone
In conversation with...

Interviews with experts from the ALIGN community.

Blog

16 August 2021

A women's football team having a team talk. © Empodera
Why the most ‘gender-equal’ Olympics were far from equal
Author: Meg Smith

Published by: ALIGN, Women Win

Blog

22 July 2021

Sculptures of women running with Olympic torches in Beijing, China. © Sam Balye/Unsplash
Sport: A reinforcer of gender norms or a force for change?
Author: Emily Subden

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

1 July 2021

Informal workers gather for a meeting of their association, the Makola Market Traders Union, in Accra, Ghana. The union is dominated by women and the strength in numbers provides some protection to traders. Credit: Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment
Ending gender-based violence in the workplace: the need to shift norms
Author: Rachel Marcus

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

29 June 2021

Employees at Radio Rural Community de Forecariah. Credit: World Bank Photo Collection
Can TV and radio change gender norms? And if so, how?
Author: Faria A. Nasruddin

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

29 June 2021

A protest on International Women’s Day 2020 in the northern Chilean town of Antofagasta. Image license: Enfocale / Shutterstock.com
Generation Equality Forum: how to shift power for a gender-just world
Author: Caroline Harper

Published by: ODI, ALIGN

Blog

1 June 2021

A young rural Ugandan woman prepares garden soil for planting vegetables. © Cheryl Ramalho / Shutterstock
Challenging gender norms in Uganda: How agricultural programmes can inspire women to thrive
Author: Carmen Leon-Himmelstine

Published by: ALIGN

Interview

3 March 2021

A girl with a hearing aid amongst peers at a school in Chennai, India. © Pippa Ranger/Department for International Development
The expectation of perfection: interview with Nidhi Goyal on the intersection of gender and disability norms in India
Author: Nidhi Goyal

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

24 November 2020

Nohra Padilla, leader of the Asociación de Recicladores de Bogotá (ARB) leads a contingent of waste pickers as they demonstrate against city policies and programmes affecting waste pickers. © Juan Arredondo/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment
How can we better understand and measure violence against women in politics?
Authors: Nandita Bhan, Jennifer Yore, Anita Raj

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

28 October 2020

A busy Vietnamese high street. © Thanh Tung/Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment
Using the Social Norms Analysis Framework (SNAP) to explore the influence of social norms on women’s economic participation in Vietnam
Author: My Linh Nguyen

Published by: ALIGN, Care

Blog

15 October 2020

Women account for around half of the Viet Nam's workforce, but occupy less than a quarter of senior management roles. © Thanh Tung/Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment
To support women in leadership, address their caregiving burden
Authors: Takara Morgan, Le Thi Hong Giang

Published by: Care, CARE International in Viet Nam, ALIGN

Blog

1 October 2020

The birth of the Commission on the Status of Women in the 1946 UN General Assembly. © UN Women
25 years after Beijing: Time to kick-start a new era for gender equality through norm change
Author: Sophia M. D’Angelo

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

25 September 2020

A family spending time with their child. A scene from the documentary film, Parwaaz | Flight (2020), produced by ICRW and directed by Mixed Media Productions © ICRW
World Contraception Day: Why men must be part of the story
Authors: Kuhika Seth, Sharmishtha Nanda, Aishwarya Sahay, Pranita Achyut, Sneha Sharma

Published by: ALIGN, ICRW

Interview

16 September 2020

Sudanese weigh in on peace agreement in Blue Nile State, Musfa, Sudan. © UN Photo/Tim McKulka (Photo ID 462222. 25/01/2011)
Gender norms, intersectionality and social protection: In conversation with UNICEF's Dr Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed
Authors: Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed, Carmen Leon-Himmelstine

Published by: ALIGN

Interview

16 September 2020

Pride in San Francisco 2015 with Apple. © Thomas Hawk
The intersectionality of gender norms: In conversation with TrueChild's Riki Wilchins
Author: Riki Wilchins

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

12 August 2020

Women on a bus wearing facemasks. Credit: Gender and Covid-19 Working Group
Gender norms, intersectionality and a COVID-19 ‘global reset’
Author: Caroline Harper

Published by: Gender and Covid-19 Working Group

Interview

7 July 2020

Jacinda Ardern, who has been described as being gender-sensitive leader, at the World Economic Forum. © World Economic Forum/Boris Baldinger
Women’s leadership - and gender-sensitive leadership - during Covid-19 and beyond: Interview with Sara Pantuliano
Authors: Sara Pantuliano, Rachel George, Caroline Harper

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

15 June 2020

A market seller in Kenya. ©World Bank / Sambrian Mbaabu
Teasing apart the relationship between family planning and Covid-19
Author: Sarah Castle

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

9 June 2020

A remote village on Vanua Balavu island, Fiji. © Will Seal
Could the Covid-19 crisis advance gender equality? Perspectives from Fiji
Author: William Hamilton

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

19 May 2020

Young women dancing in Gambia © Matthew Shaw
Building momentum for scaling-up prevention of gender-based violence: the importance of norm change initiatives at community level
Authors: The Community for Understanding Scale Up

Published by: ALIGN, Community for Understanding Scale Up (CUSP)

Blog

4 May 2020

Men smiling in Raniganj, Bihar, India. © Paula Bronstein/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment
Transforming men, transforming masculinities
Authors: Nalini V. Khurana, Sapna Kedia, Ravi Verma

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

16 April 2020

A nurse checks the temperature of a patient at Redemption Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. © Dominic Chavez/World Bank
How gender norms play out in the Covid-19 response
Authors: Rosemary Morgan, Sara E. Davies

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

17 April 2020

Silhouette of a women © Yoab Anderson/Unsplash
Tackling a double pandemic – how Covid-19 influences gender-based violence, and what can be done
Author: Carmen Leon-Himmelstine

Published by: ODI

Blog

8 April 2020

The female labour force participation rate is high in Vietnam, but inequalities informed by traditional social norms persist in workplaces between women and men. © Thang Tung / Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment Vietnam
The influence of urban millennials on gender norms
Author: Kim Patria

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

6 April 2020

A female trader at the Al Obaied Crop Market, Sudan. © Salahaldeen Nadir / World Bank
Tracking attitudes on gender equality
Author: Carolina Rivera Vázquez

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

23 March 2020

Girls taking part in sport at school. Credit: Tanya Holden/DFID
Data on gender norms: can we find and use what is missing?
Authors: Rebecka Lundgren , Meredith Pierce, Anita Raj, Namratha Rao

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

6 March 2020

Female resident washing the dishes in the Philippines. © Asian Development Bank
Five ways to change gender norms in unpaid care and domestic work
Author: Carmen Leon-Himmelstine

Published by: ODI

Blog

16 January 2020

Health checks for men at a barbers’ shop in Bradford UK. © Bradford Health of Men project
Thinking outside 'the box' on men's health
Authors: Peter Baker

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

10 January 2020

International Women's Day 2018, Lebanon. © Fe-Male
Young feminists weave new narratives in the face of backlash
Authors: María Díaz Ezquerro, Ruby Johnson

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

9 December 2019

An example of one of the photos taken as part of the Visionara research.
The ALIGN Research Fund: six fund ‘winners’ showcase local action to challenge gender norms
Authors: Paola Pereznieto

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

18 November 2019

history and change graphic
‘I was unstoppable!’ - women’s collective agency to change discriminatory gender norms in Uganda and Nepal 
Author: Carol Watson

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

18 November 2019

history and change graphic
Gender-equitable laws and policies meet resistance on the ground: findings from Uganda and Nepal
Author: Carol Watson

Published by: ALIGN

18 November 2019

UN Women Executive Director hears from rural tech gurus, Gujarat, India, 2014. Photo: UN Women/Gaganjit Singh CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Many gains, but many miles to go: women in power since 1995

Significant progress has been made since the 1995 Beijing Conference, but there’s still a long way to go for women in power. Published by: ODI

Blog

28 October 2019

Iranian women fans arrive to attend Iran's FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier match. © Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via THIRD PARTY - RC115E470720
Promoting women’s economic empowerment: Mission impossible?
Author: Talajeh Livani

Published by: Brookings

Blog

11 October 2019

Autumn Peltier, 13-year-old water advocate from the Anishinaabe tribe of Canada, addresses the event to launch the International Decade for Action titled “Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028”. ©UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Activist girls: a driving force for gender norm change
Author: Rachel Marcus

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

25 July 2019

Photo: Yavuz Sariyildiz, 2012 CGAP Photo Contest
Social norms and women’s financial inclusion: The role of providers
Author: Yasmin Bin-Humam

Published by: CGAP

Blog

16 May 2019

A worker at a silk thread factory in Turkey. Photo: Bulent Suberk, 2016 CGAP Photo Contest
Diagnosing social norms in women’s financial inclusion programming
Author: Yasmin Bin-Humam

Published by: CGAP

Blog

9 July 2019

© Stef Glinski
We need to focus on gender norms to reach the global goal on education
Author: Rachel Marcus

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

4 July 2019

© Daniel Jack Lyons
Social norms and the ‘power within’ – how MUVA builds young people’s soft skills
Authors: Jana Bischler, Anne Cecile Manicom Rebelo

Published by: ALIGN, MUVA

Blog

24 June 2019

Power, progress, change
Did Women Deliver 2019 actually deliver?
Author: Caroline Harper

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

14 June 2019

Participants sit outside at the conference
Re-think, re-boot, re-imagine and re-act!
Author: Sapna Kedia

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

2 June 2019

A mobile clinical outreach team from Marie Stopes International, a specialized sexual reproductive health and family planning organization in Senegal. © Jonathan Torgovnik
Eliminate gender inequality and restrictive gender norms and improve health for all
Author: Gary Darmstadt

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

29 May 2019

Women at a concert in India
How media can shape social and gender norms
Author: Poonam Muttreja

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

26 April 2019

A woman distributes cassava cuttings while others plant them on on July 12, 2017 in Nigeria. (Photo by STEFAN HEUNIS/AFP/Getty Images).
Gender norms and women’s economic empowerment in low-income countries: What we learned by reviewing the evidence
Authors: H. Elizabeth Peters, Shirley Adelstein, Robert Abare

Published by: Urban Institute

Blog

16 April 2019

Credit: Plan International
Exploring the potential for adolescent girls to disrupt harmful gender norms: Evidence from Africa
Authors: Lilli Loveday, Jenny Rivett

Published by: ALIGN, Plan International UK

Blog

28 March 2019

Credit: Wellcome Trust
Building health systems that transform gender norms
Authors: Suzanne Petroni

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

13 March 2019

© Jenny Matthews/PANOS
Tackling gender norms offers hope for girls’ education in low- and middle-income countries
Author: Catherine Jere

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

11 March 2019

Participants at the convening
Imagining a Feminist Internet in South Asia - an ALIGN-sponsored convening
Authors: Suzanne Petroni

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

5 March 2019

©Emily Subden
Are gender norms the new magic bullet in development?
Author: Caroline Harper

Published by: OECD

Blog

5 March 2019

© Asantha Abeysooriya/Unsplash
Who’s doing what at the intersection of gender norms and women’s economic empowerment?
Author: Rebecca Calder

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

21 February 2019

Participants at the event
Ground-breaking conference in Laos focuses on gender norms and violence against women
Authors: Suzanne Petroni

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

19 February 2019

Village mentors preparing for group education session with adolescent girls, using the based on PAnKH Diary, in Dholpur, Rajasthan, India. © ICRW
The ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of sustaining work on changing gender norms
Author: Hemlata Verma

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

19 February 2019

© Jens Mollenvanger
Could preschool teachers hold the key to gender equity?
Author: Sven Rooms

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

13 February 2019

A campaign cartoon in French that says a man who hits his daughter isn't a good father
What French speakers in humanitarian aid and development organizations need to know about gender norms
Author: Virginie Le Masson

Published by: ALIGN

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