Insights from the behavioural sciences, or what is commonly referred to as Behavioural Insights (BI), refers to the understanding of how people actually behave, think, and make decisions in real life, often based on psychology, sociology, and cognitive science. It involves analyzing human behavior to uncover patterns, tendencies, and motivations that might differ from what people say they will do or what is considered rational behavior. Behavioral insights are used to design interventions, policies, and programs that better align with how people naturally act, making it easier to encourage positive behaviors and improve decision-making.

Key Findings: Shifting Gender Norms through Behavioral Insights

The small-scale experiment conducted by UNDP (at the community (mahalla) level) early in 2024 has demonstrated a profound impact on challenging and changing harmful gender norms:

• Equal Opportunities to Work: The belief that men should have more right to a job than women was halved, dropping from 60% to 30%. Furthermore, 100% of male participants now support more opportunities for women in business, and 80% of women are considering earning their own income.

• Intimate-Partner Violence: The intervention reduced the acceptance of intimate-partner violence, with agreement that “it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife” falling by 67%. 

• Politics and Education: Support for "more opportunities for women in politics" increased from 65% to 85%, while the belief that women having equal rights as men is essential for democracy rose from 20% to 50%. Additionally, support for women’s access to higher education reached 100%.

• Behavioral Shifts at Home: Post-intervention, 85% of participants reported that husbands took on more household chores, marking a significant behavioral change in gender roles within households. Additionally, 80% of participants engaged in regular discussions on gender equality.

• Influence of Opinion Leaders: Female role models, religious leaders, and community leaders played a crucial role in shifting attitudes, particularly among women. The intervention’s success in using credible opinion leaders illustrates the power of community engagement in advancing gender equality.

These findings of a small-scale experiment seem to be food for thought and a good reason to see if such experiments might be upscaled when it comes to challenging harmful social norms and designing prevention measures.

Discussion Highlights: Innovative Solutions for Gender Equality

The roundtable discussion provided a platform for stakeholders to review these impactful findings and explore ways to replicate this success across Uzbekistan. Participants highlighted the importance of integrating behavioral insights into gender-sensitive policymaking as a sustainable approach to addressing the root causes of gender inequality.

UNDP’s Behavioral Insights intervention has shown measurable success in shifting harmful gender stereotypes and fostering a more inclusive society. As Uzbekistan moves forward with its 2030 Strategy, this evidence-based approach can play a key role in achieving greater gender equality and sustainable development.

For more information and to access the full report, please visit: Addressing Harmful Gender Stereotypes. Application of Behavioural Insights