Table 2.
Gender norms among the study sample of adolescent students in Aswan city, Egypt, 2019–2020
| Gender norms concept | Gender | Responses N (%) |
p-value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disagree a lot | Disagree a little | Neither agree nor disagree | Agree a little | Agree a lot | |||
| Adolescent acceptance of romantic relationships | |||||||
| It is normal for a boy your age to want a girlfriend | Boys | 33 (16.8) | 10 (5.1) | 8 (4.1) | 52 (26.5) | 93 (47.5) | 0.044* |
| Girls | 21 (10.3) | 6 (2.9) | 17 (8.3) | 71 (34.8) | 89 (43.7) | ||
| It is normal for a girl to want a boyfriend at your age | Boys | 26 (13.3) | 15 (7.7) | 23 (11.7) | 63 (32.1) | 69 (35.2) | 0.004* |
| Girls | 45 (22.1) | 15 (7.4) | 6 (2.9) | 61 (29.9) | 77 (37.7) | ||
| A girl should be able to have a boyfriend if she wants | Boys | 87 (44.3) | 26 (13.3) | 5 (2.6) | 41 (20.9) | 37 (18.9) | 0.456 |
| Girls | 107 (52.5) | 27 (13.1) | 3 (1.5) | 32 (15.7) | 35 (17.2) | ||
| A boy should be able to have a girlfriend if he wants | Boys | 60 (30.6) | 24 (12.2) | 5 (2.6) | 34 (17.3) | 73 (37.3) | 0.001* |
| Girls | 78 (38.3) | 37 (18.1) | 7 (3.4) | 45 (22.1) | 37 (18.1) | ||
| Mean score (1–5, 5 indicating strongest approval of adolescent romantic relationships) (mean +/− SD) | Boys | 3.315 ± 1.071 | 0.056 | ||||
| Girls | 3.120 ± 1.044 | ||||||
| Sexual double standard | |||||||
| Adolescent boys fool girls into having sex | Boys | 32 (16.3) | 29 (14.8) | 8 (4.1) | 57 (29.1) | 70 (35.7) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 5 (2.5) | 19 (9.3) | 4 (2.0) | 51 (25.0) | 125 (61.2) | ||
| Adolescent girls should avoid boys because they trick them into having sex | Boys | 9 (4.6) | 18 (9.2) | 5 (2.5) | 44 (22.4) | 120 (61.3) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 5 (2.5) | 21 (10.3) | 0 (0) | 17 (8.3) | 161 (78.9) | ||
| Girls are the victims of rumors if they have boyfriends | Boys | 17 (8.7) | 23 (11.7) | 3 (1.5) | 35 (17.9) | 118 (60.2) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 2 (1.0) | 10 (4.9) | 1 (0.5) | 31 (15.2) | 160 (78.4) | ||
| Boys have girlfriends to show off to their friends | Boys | 33 (16.8) | 24 (12.3) | 5 (2.6) | 52 (26.5) | 82 (41.8) | 0.001 |
| Girls | 12 (5.9) | 17 (8.3) | 10 (4.9) | 51 (25.0) | 114 (55.9) | ||
| Adolescent boys lose interest in a girl after they have sex with her | Boys | 13 (6.6) | 15 (7.7) | 13 (6.6) | 48 (24.5) | 107 (54.6) | 0.021* |
| Girls | 5 (2.5) | 7 (3.4) | 20 (9.8) | 39 (19.1) | 133 (65.2) | ||
| Boys tell girls they love them when they do not | Boys | 28 (14.3) | 34 (17.3) | 12 (6.1) | 54 (27.6) | 68 (34.7) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 9 (4.4) | 22 (10.8) | 12 (5.9) | 53 (26.0) | 108 (52.9) | ||
| Mean score (1−5, 5 indicating strongest endorsement of sexual double standard) (mean +/− SD) | Boys | 3.861 ± 0.832 | < 0.001* | ||||
| Girls | 4.366 ± 0.620 | ||||||
| Stereotypical gender traits: toughness versus vulnerability | |||||||
| Boys should always defend themselves even if it means fighting | Boys | 4 (2.0) | 10 (5.1) | 2 (1.0) | 25 (12.8) | 155 (79.1) | < 0.001+* |
| Girls | 6 (2.9) | 25 (12.3) | 1 (0.5) | 58 (28.4) | 114 (55.9) | ||
| It is important for boys to show they are tough even if they are nervous inside | Boys | 14 (7.2) | 30 (15.3) | 3 (1.5) | 39 (19.9) | 110 (56.1) | 0.714 |
| Girls | 17 (8.3) | 38 (18.6) | 4 (2.0) | 45 (22.1) | 100 (49.0) | ||
| Boys who behave like girls are considered weak | Boys | 16 (8.2) | 33 (16.8) | 4 (2.1) | 32 (16.3) | 111 (56.6) | 0.57 |
| Girls | 16 (7.8) | 23 (11.3) | 6 (2.9) | 34 (16.7) | 125 (61.3) | ||
| Boys should be raised to be tough so can overcome any difficulties in life | Boys | 13 (6.6) | 20 (10.2) | 2 (1.0) | 25 (12.8) | 136 (69.4) | 0.2 |
| Girls | 4 (2.0) | 21 (10.3) | 1 (0.5) | 25 (12.2) | 153 (75.0) | ||
| Girls are expected to be humble | Boys | 7 (3.6) | 17 (8.7) | 2 (1.0) | 31 (15.8) | 139 (70.9) | 0.157 |
| Girls | 15 (7.3) | 28 (13.7) | 3 (1.5) | 34 (16.7) | 124 (60.8) | ||
| Girls should avoid raising their voice to be lady like | Boys | 0 (0.0) | 4 (2.0) | 0 (0.0) | 9 (4.6) | 183 (93.4) | 0.034+* |
| Girls | 4 (2.0) | 4 (2.0) | 2 (1.0) | 19 (9.2) | 175 (85.8) | ||
| Girls need their parents’ protection more than boys. | Boys | 6 (3.1) | 12 (6.1) | 1 (0.5) | 12 (6.1) | 165 (84.2) | 0.856 |
| Girls | 6 (2.9) | 8 (3.9) | 2 (1.0) | 12 (5.9) | 176 (86.3) | ||
| Mean score (1–5, 5 indicating strongest endorsement of stereotypical gender traits) (mean +/− SD) | Boys | 4.403 ± 0.527 | 0.076 | ||||
| Girls | 4.315 ± 0.548 | ||||||
| Stereotypical gender roles | |||||||
| A woman’s role is taking care of her home and family | Boys | 0 (0) | 4 (2.0) | 1 (0.5) | 11 (5.6) | 180 (91.9) | 0.015+* |
| Girls | 5 (2.5) | 14 (6.9) | 2 (1.0) | 11 (5.4) | 172 (84.2) | ||
| Boys and girls should be equally responsible for household chores | Boys | 63 (32.1) | 44 (22.4) | - | 32 (16.3) | 57 (29.2) | 0.045* |
| Girls | 67 (32.8) | 34 (16.7) | - | 21 (10.3) | 82 (40.2) | ||
| A man should have the final word about decisions in the home | Boys | 5 (2.6) | 12 (6.1) | 2 (1.0) | 25 (12.8) | 152 (77.5) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 12 (5.9) | 33 (16.2) | 2 (1.0) | 41 (20.1) | 116 (56.8) | ||
| A woman should obey her husband in all matters | Boys | 4 (2.0) | 36 (18.4) | 3 (1.5) | 53 (27.1) | 100 (51.0) | 0.105 |
| Girls | 13 (6.4) | 48 (23.5) | 5 (2.5) | 46 (22.5) | 92 (45.1) | ||
| Men should be the ones who bring money home for the family, not women | Boys | 11 (5.6) | 21 (10.7) | 2 (1.0) | 20 (10.2) | 142 (72.5) | < 0.001* |
| Girls | 15 (7.4) | 53 (26.0) | 3 (1.5) | 30 (14.6) | 103 (50.5) | ||
| Mean score (1–5, 5 indicating strongest endorsement of stereotypical gender roles) (mean +/− SD) | Boys | 4.191 ± 0.676 | < 0.001* | ||||
| Girls | 3.822 ± 0.882 | ||||||
| Sanctions for challenging gender roles | |||||||
| It is okay to tease a girl who acts like a boy | Boys | 100 (51.1) | 34 (17.3) | 4 (2.0) | 25 (12.8) | 33 (16.8) | 0.795 |
| Girls | 105 (51.5) | 40 (19.6) | 7 (3.4) | 21 (10.3) | 31 (15.2) | ||
| It is okay to tease a boy who acts like a girl | Boys | 66 (33.7) | 23 (11.7) | 1 (0.5) | 28 (14.3) | 78 (39.8) | 0.013* |
| Girls | 55 (27.0) | 41 (20.1) | 8 (3.9) | 33 (16.2) | 67 (32.8) | ||
+Monte Carlo simulation. *Significant