Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Traditional gender and social norms reinforce asymmetrical power relations, increase the risk of experiencing gender-based violence and mediate poor engagement with sexual and reproductive health services. This study explored gender norms and expectations amongst cisgender adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A purposive sample of 29 adolescents aged 16-19 years old were enrolled as part of a longitudinal qualitative study. The current analysis reports on the first round of in-depth interviews, which focused on the role of men and women in their community. A theoretically informed thematic analysis identified three broad themes: 1) Adolescent interpretation and understanding of gender identity, 2) Gendered essentialism and Gender roles (two sub-themes: Young men: Power through

SUBMITTER: Marshall B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10795977 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature