Gendered social norms for programme design

Identifying how social norms influence women's access and agency within given market systems can lead to more effective programming and greater sustainability. This can be achieved by using simple tools and methodologies.

This Sierra Leone Opportunities for Business Action (SOBA) case study demonstrates how

• asking questions to assess social norms at the early stages of the programme cycle
  and
• developing a more nuanced understanding of the gendered roles, obstacles and opportunities for women within different areas of the market system

are useful for identifying appropriate entry-points. This helps mitigate risks and boosts the effectiveness of a programme’s interventions and potential to scale.