Social behaviour change
Find out how UNICEF is supporting the Government of Cameroon and a wide range of partners to promote positive and measurable behavioural and social change as part of development programmes.
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The challenges
Cameroon is currently facing significant challenges across all sectors, which are hindering the development and well-being of children and families. These challenges are deeply rooted and are perpetuated by harmful behaviours such as early marriage, gender-based violence, and the rejection of preventive health practices. These behaviours are supported by social norms inherited from centuries-old traditions, which entrench inequalities and discrimination within communities, making it difficult to adopt positive behaviours.
Additionally, low access to basic services such as health, education, and social protection remains a major obstacle, often due to social and cultural barriers, as well as a mistrust of modern practices. Negative practices, such as the preference for traditional treatments over modern healthcare and cultural rites that disregard the needs of girls and women, exacerbate this situation.
Furthermore, the poor integration of social change approaches into public policy limits the impact of initiatives aimed at promoting positive social norms and encouraging the use of available services. Therefore, it is more important than ever to address these social norms and increase demand for essential services to achieve sustainable change.
The solutions
To tackle these complex challenges, UNICEF Cameroon implements strategic interventions that focus on innovative Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) approaches. These approaches include human-centred design (HCD), positive deviance, and collective change. The SBC program and its partners closely collaborate with communities to co-create solutions tailored to their specific realities and needs. These methods highlight and amplify positive behaviour within communities and promote sustainable collective change.
The SBC program prioritizes evidence generation to inform programming and ensure the effectiveness of interventions. Through in-depth research and the collection of behavioural data, UNICEF Cameroon can design programs that precisely respond to identified challenges while strengthening the promotion of demand for essential services. Additionally, the SBC program engages in advocacy to improve service delivery, working with authorities to ensure that services are of high quality, accessible, and responsive to the needs of the population.
The SBC program's strategy emphasizes community empowerment and active engagement as key elements. By directly involving community leaders, women's groups, and young people, SBC aims to change social norms and encourage the widespread adoption of positive behaviours.
To enhance the SBC system in Cameroon in the long term, the program is forging strategic partnerships with universities and national academies. These partnerships are focused on establishing university centres dedicated to children's rights, developing specialized curricula, and fostering the generation of systematic evidence. These efforts contribute to national capacity building and ensure that future professionals are well-prepared to support and enhance social and behavioural change initiatives throughout the country.