Using Social Norms Theory to Strengthen CLTS in Southern Madagascar

November 2015

Failure to change social norms in Southern Madagascar resulted in the widespread failure of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and other development programmes.

Social Norms Analysis was used to identify the barriers to changing the social norm on open defecation and define approaches to establishing a new social norm so that improved sanitation practices would be adopted.

Institutional triggering, shit festivals and customary laws are tools that can support the normalisation and sustainability of behaviour change.

Applying social norms tools has potential to strengthen the performance of CLTS more broadly in other countries and regions.

Additional details

PublisherUNICEF
CountryMadagascar
ThemesBehaviour change, Challenging contexts, Social norms
LanguageEnglish

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