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

10 February 2025

Composite photo collage of woman facing online abuse © Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock ID: 2451261615

Why online safety policies and digital advocacy are essential for women’s political participation

Author: Annelies Coessens

Blog

19 December 2024

A newsstand with papers from around the world. © Copyright Lawrey| Shutterstock ID: 300273554

Six headlines from 2024: a seismic year for gender norms

Authors: Prerna Dhote, Rachel Marcus, Ján Michalko, Aatif Somji

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

5 December 2024

Students and teacher at a college in Guatemala. © ShutterPrice | Shutterstock ID: 1223048173

How can education systems help prevent gender-based violence?

Author: Rachel Marcus

Blog

14 October 2024

Protesters outside the Nation Centre on Kimathi Street in Nairobi, Kenya, June 2024. © Simon Libz | Shutterstock ID: 2478192113

A story of intersectional discontent: how youth protests reveal entrenched cultural norms in Kenya

Author: Gloria Nyambura Kenyatta

Blog

3 October 2024

A teacher guiding students in a classroom at a Guatemalan college in Guazacapan. © ShutterPrice | Shutterstock ID: 1223048206

7 insights for working with boys on gender norms for World Teachers’ Day

Author: Rachel Marcus

Blog

25 July 2024

A female skateboarder at Toyko 2020 Olympic Games. © A.RICARDO | Shutterstock ID: 2019097265

Gender equality at the Olympic Games: more than just a number

Author: Emily Subden

Blog

27 June 2024

A giant rainbow being carried down the streets during the Pride parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2018. © Nelson Antoine | Shutterstock ID: 1415682524

Pride Month spotlight: gender-based violence against LGBTQI+ people

Author: Evie Browne

Blog

28 May 2024

Banner of report covers

What encourages men in politics to be allies for gender equality?

Authors: Ján Michalko, Tanya Ansahta Garnett, José Fernando Serrano Amaya, Zaireeni Azmi

Blog

2 April 2024

A meeting in the shade of a tree. © Grandmother Project

From ‘witches’ to powerful agents of change: the critical role of grandmothers

Author: Judi Aubel

Blog

3 April 2024

The opening session of CSW68. © UN Women/Ryan Brown

Shifting narratives and norms around unpaid care work at CSW68

Author: Sonia Hoque

Blog

8 January 2024

Looking back on 2023 display on computer on desk.. Shutterstock ID: 2379048867/Linaimages

Gender norms: 12 insights from 2023, and what to look out for in 2024

Authors: Evie Browne, Caroline Harper, Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez, Ayesha Khan, Carmen Leon-Himmelstine, Rachel Marcus, Ján Michalko, Aatif Somji, Emily Subden, Natasha Wright

Published by: ALIGN

Blog

14 December 2023

Rainbow flag at a Pride event © Adobe Stock

LGBTQI+ people on the frontline in the fight against democratic backsliding

Author: Regina Waugh

Blog

4 December 2023

An example from the Fighting femicide through beauty - Siempre Unidas - collection

From drama to murals: a visual journey of feminist artivism against GBV

Author: Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez

Blog

24 November 2023

Artivism to end GBV illustration

How does artivism contribute to ending gender-based violence?

Author: Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez

Blog

20 November 2023

Word cloud of derogatory phrases used to describe female leaders

‘Too young’, ‘Too old’, ‘Too emotional’: how gender norms hold women back in local politics

Author: Ján Michalko

Blog

31 August 2023

Graffiti wall at Women Deliver © Natasha Wright

'How can I be too young to understand what's happening to me?'

Author: Natasha Wright

Blog

23 August 2023

'We are not at war, we are more united than ever' - sign in response to Chile's then President stating the country was at war over gender. © Ignacio Bustamante

Anti-gender ideology in Chile: Sex education is not abuse

Authors: Tomás Ojeda, Pablo Astudillo

Blog

16 August 2023

Women Deliver plenary on the anti-rights movement, Kigali. Credit: Women Deliver

Lessons on backlash from Women Deliver: tackling the enemy in the room

Author: Ayesha Khan

Blog

18 July 2023

A banner saying 'Save Roe' ©Christopher Penler / Shutterstock

Women Deliver 2023: we can’t let the anti-rights movement prevail

Author: Sara Pantuliano

Blog

7 March 2023

Source: ALIGN. Illustrated by Ipsita Divedi for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023

8 steps to change gender norms for women’s economic rights on International Women’s Day

Authors: Ipsita Divedi, Emilie Tant, Emily Subden

Blog

27 February 2023

Andrew Tate in policy custody in Bucharest, Romania. © LCV/ Shutterstock ID: 2254142455

How do you solve a problem like Andrew Tate?

Authors: Gurpreet Kaur

Blog

9 February 2023

La Habana Gay Pride Parade, 2018. © P. Falchi/Shutterstock ID: 1641262987

'Love is now the law.' Will gender norms change by legalising same-sex marriage in Cuba?

Author: Evie Browne

Blog

5 January 2023

Review 2022

Reflections on 2022: what were the trends in gender norms research?

Authors: Aatif Somji, Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez, Ján Michalko, Emilie Tant, Emily Subden

Blog

1 December 2022

Relatives protest by placing red shoes to pay tribute to the hundreds of disappeared women in Juarez and across Mexico. ©David Peinado Romero / Shutterstock ID: 2128849571

Unpacking the context of femicide in Mexico

Author: Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez

Blog

24 November 2022

A group of women protest for the numerous feminicides in Mexico. © artcgix / Shutterstock ID:2133578879

Icebergs and black holes: the stories of femicide in Mexico

Author: Diana Jiménez Thomas Rodriguez

Blog

15 November 2022

A sign directing voters to a polling station for municipal elections in the Netherlands. ©Rene Notenbomer / Shuttertock 2122158884

Changing the face of local politics for the better in the Netherlands

Author: Lilianne Ploumen

Blog

13 November 2022

A woman looking at Hunza valley in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. © Punnawit Suwattananun / shutterstock 1694778085

What do we mean by ‘there’s no climate justice without gender justice’?

Author: Areebah Shahid

Blog

6 October 2022

Sarah Kilemi, wife of Parliament member Kilemi Mwiria, speaks to "Women without Husbands" who have been ostracized from society. Meru, Kenya, 2007. © Shutterstock/Joseph Sohm ID:105700322

Women in leadership: how fear of violence is shaping women's political aspirations

Author: Ján Michalko

Blog

11 August 2022

Yes we can concept banner in collage style. Stock Vector ID: 2044607141

How feminist artivism and social media inspires change in gender norms

Author: Ipsita Divedi

Blog

17 March 2022

Mural being painted of indigenous woman in Santiago de Chile, 8 March 2022. Credit: Emilie Tant

Why indigenous voices matter in the fight for climate and gender justice

Authors: Mitzy Violeta

Blog

19 January 2022

A drawing of a victim of Internet bullying, is sitting in front of a laptop, covering their face with their hands. © Shutterstock ID:2059491032/Chugunova Anastasia

Social media, violence and gender norms: the need for a new digital social contract

Authors: Lucina de Meco, Alcy MacKay

Blog

7 January 2022

Number ten on a jetty. BMJ/Shutterstock ID: 111378512

10 things we learnt in 2021

Authors: Rachel Marcus, Emily Subden

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

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

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

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

Blog

8 November 2021

Diagram from the blog

Norms Changing Strategies - West Africa Lessons

Authors: Judi Aubel, Mamadou Coulibaly

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

Interviews

1 October 2020

Microphone

In conversation with...

Interviews with experts from the ALIGN community.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blog

9 July 2019

© Stef Glinski

We need to focus on gender norms to reach the global goal on education

Author: Rachel Marcus

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

Blog

24 June 2019

Power, progress, change

Did Women Deliver 2019 actually deliver?

Author: Caroline Harper

Blog

14 June 2019

Participants sit outside at the conference

Re-think, re-boot, re-imagine and re-act!

Author: Sapna Kedia

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

Blog

29 May 2019

Women at a concert in India

How media can shape social and gender norms

Author: Poonam Muttreja

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

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

Blog

28 March 2019

Credit: Wellcome Trust

Building health systems that transform gender norms

Authors: Suzanne Petroni

Blog

13 March 2019

© Jenny Matthews/PANOS

Tackling gender norms offers hope for girls’ education in low- and middle-income countries

Author: Catherine Jere

Blog

11 March 2019

Participants at the convening

Imagining a Feminist Internet in South Asia - an ALIGN-sponsored convening

Authors: Suzanne Petroni

Blog

5 March 2019

©Emily Subden

Are gender norms the new magic bullet in development?

Author: Caroline Harper

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

Blog

21 February 2019

Participants at the event

Ground-breaking conference in Laos focuses on gender norms and violence against women

Authors: Suzanne Petroni

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

Blog

19 February 2019

© Jens Mollenvanger

Could preschool teachers hold the key to gender equity?

Author: Sven Rooms

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

Blog

7 February 2019

women in politics

Gender norms and women’s political participation: Global trends and findings on norm change

Author: Rachel George

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