Do Gender Norms Become Less Traditional with Displacement ? The Case of Colombia

Conflict-induced displacement is associated with loss of human and physical capital andpsychological trauma. Households and social structures that produce and reproduce gender norms are disrupted, providingopportunities for change. This paper operationalizes a definition of gender norms that brings together thebehaviors and attitudes of displaced and non-displaced women using household survey data for Colombia. The results of atwo-step estimation involving kernel-based propensity score matching and multilevel linear regression models show thatgender norms condoning violence against women relax with displacement, while those that limit women’s economicopportunities become more rigid. The findings also reveal a misalignment between attitudes and behaviors in otherdomains. Displaced women have less rigid patriarchal attitudes, but their ability to decide about contraceptionand their own earnings decreases following displacement.