funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2022-24)
Last year, PEP concluded a research initiative to investigate the role of local social gender norms in shaping the decision-making and resilience strategies adopted by families and communities to respond to adverse income shocks in Malawi and Benin. In both countries, the norms and traditions of vulnerable communities have a significant impact on their ability to cope with economic shocks. These factors disproportionately hinder women’s economic empowerment especially as cultural norms often assign specific roles and behaviours to men and women. In particular, women face barriers accessing resources, education, and employment opportunities that could strengthen their financial resilience, as a result of societal expectations. Given the knowledge gap in understanding how these social norms impact the ability of individuals to adopt effective solutions, local researchers studied these and generated concrete policy recommendations for enhancing women’s resilience to income shocks
Find out more about findings below.
In Malawi, agricultural production is still being disrupted and food insecurity is being exacerbated by recurring climate shocks, including droughts and erratic rainfall. Although government-led resilience programs have been implemented to empower vulnerable populations, their influence on the long-term economic empowerment of women is still limited by deeply ingrained social norms, particularly those associated with land ownership and decision-making authority within households.
A team of local PEP researchers discovered that resilience programs do indeed economically empower women; however, their advantages are transient in the presence of climate disruptions, such as drought. It is important to note that women in patrilineal communities, where they typically lack land rights, are initially able to engage in business with program support. However, their ventures often collapse when shocks strike. The researchers also discovered that the possession of formal land titles directly impacts the capacity of women to make decisions regarding land use or implement erosion control strategies—an area that is still largely governed by customary norms.
The most feasible and effective policy option among the three that were evaluated was the expansion of access to weather-indexed crop insurance. Nevertheless, its success is contingent upon the removal of social and cultural obstacles that impede women’s involvement in financial decision-making. The sustainability of resilience efforts was also found to be enhanced by complementary education and skills training programs, particularly in patrilineal communities.
Rural homes in Benin are more and more vulnerable to climate-related shocks endangering agricultural output and lowering income. Many people react by using damaging coping mechanisms—such as taking girls out of school, marrying them off too soon, or limiting women’s entrepreneurial activity—that reflect deep-seated gender biases. These policies weaken national initiatives to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality.
A team of local PEP researchers from the University of Abomey-Calavi discovered that these conventional attitudes about marriage, household duties, and gendered work division lower women’s involvement in economic activities and decision-making. The group also demonstrated that even under economic pressure, more fair social standards inside homes—such as those in matrilocal communities—can offset these effects and promote women’s entrepreneurship and girls’ education.
Their assessment of policy choices emphasizes that the most efficient interventions are those that promote income resilience via conditional cash transfers, entrepreneurial support, and extra-curricular education for adolescent girls. Especially when combined with community awareness and mentorship initiatives, these policies can change societal norms and create long-term gender fairness.
