Regional focus: South America – Colombia and Guatemala
Time: September 2025 – May 2026
Abstract:
This research project explores the role of gender social norms intersection in self-made spaces of participation (i.e. small cooperatives and informal local groups) and local governments “invited spaces” (i.e. street office, participatory budget, one-stop office, etc) and the impact those norms have on women’s possibility to access services provided by the local government. Using an intersectional approach, we explore the role of social norms considering gender, age, ethnicity, language and class among others. Going beyond “invited spaces” for women’s participation such as participatory planning meetings and councils, we address the issue of time poverty due to social norms that limit the possibility for women to find the time to influence and access local government services in the first place. Using a social norms lab methodology, we will partner with the local governments of Panajachel (Guatemala) and the region of Amazonas (Colombia) and local groups in these locations to pilot an “innovative” communications campaign to break gender unequal social norms that limit the possibilities for both women and men to better participate in society, to access and influence the services provided by local governments.
Preliminary research questions:
- How do prevailing social norms within marginalized groups affect women’s influence in local policies and practices affecting their wellbeing? What specific social norms inhibit women’s influence in self-made and invited spaces of participation? How do these norms intersect with factors such as age, ethnicity, language, and class?
- How do women in self-made and invited spaces of participation, resist, or adapt to these norms to improve their well-being? What strategies do women employ to negotiate or challenge restrictive social norms that limit their access to services such as childcare, health care, and personal time? How do women’s adaptive strategies to conform to or modify social norms affect their long-term well-being and access to essential services? To what extent self-made spaces can enable more influence for women in local governments, in contrast with “invited spaces”?
- Inspired by policies and interventions from other learning contexts, what are the key messages and channels of the communications to challenge social norms and enhance women’s influence in their decisions?
Researchers:
Clara Rocío Rodríguez, IPREI-UNAL, Colombia
Ana Silvia Monzón, Flacso Guatemala
Yency Contreras, IPREI-UNAL, Colombia
Ana María Vargas, Lund University, Sweden