“On the Wings of Wishes” (Icchedana), Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh Taking Flight Using A Social Behavioral Change Communication Program to Address Child Marriage Related Social Norms: A Longitudinal Panel Study

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between exposure to a transmedia entertainment-education (EE) social and behavior change communication (SBCC) initiative with shifting child marriage-related social norms. Districts were selected purposively, whereas households were selected randomly. A total of 1102 households (n = 3905) with fathers, mothers, adolescent boys, and girls completed the baseline and endline survey. Logistic regression using panel data was conducted. There was a decline in the perceived prevalence of child marriage and dowry exchange within respondents’ communities at endline. For injunctive norms, fathers reported significantly higher levels of disapproval for child marriage at endline. However, the reverse was true for mothers and adolescent girls. Almost all respondents had a significantly lower odds of identifying rewards/benefits and punishments/consequences associated with rejecting child marriage at endline. Most respondents with exposure to Icchedana were more likely to report the importance of injunctive norms or expectations of others on their behaviors, than those who were not exposed. Exposure to EE contributes to improved articulation of and shifts in social norms and engenders normative changes at the population level.

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Acknowledgments

This SBCC Programme involved multiple partners. Under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Government of Bangladesh and its’ National Plan of Action on ECM as well as the Global Joint Programme on ECM, UNICEF Bangladesh C4D and research teams led the design, planning and implementation of the SBCC programme in technical partnership with UNFPA Private-sector creative agency Asiatic MCL was contracted for production. To ensure global standards PCI Media provided mentoring support to Asiatic MCL to guide content. The James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH) at BRAC University was contracted to lead monitoring and evaluation, while Drexel University provided technical assistance for the evaluation component.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, SS, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.