Gender Inequity Norms and Self-Esteem in two African countries: The Role of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction for Adolescent Girls in Malawi and Mozambique

Gender inequity norms that are held by parents in sub-Saharan settings (which rank among the least developed the Gender Equality Index) include those that predicate the value of boys over girls, obedience to male family members and girls’ ineptitude for schooling (Machel, 2001). These norms are therefore expected to negatively affect girls’ sense of self-esteem. We tested this relationship in a sample of adolescent girls in Malawi (N = 308) and Mozambique (N = 1331). We also tested the mediating mechanism (basic psychological need satisfaction, Ryan & Deci, 2017) that drives this relationship and the way in which the normative context can amplify girls’ well-being. First, hierarchical linear regression analyses find that gender inequity norms that are held by the parents directly affect the self-esteem of adolescent girls in both countries. In fact, these norms explain variance in self-esteem over and above the effects of the basic psychological needs. Examining these relationships in more detail, mediation analyses reveal that the needs of relatedness and competence have a significant indirect effect on the relationship between gender inequity norms and self-esteem, but autonomy does not. Next, we examined if the relationship between need satisfaction and self-esteem is moderated by gender inequity norms, such that the relationship would be stronger when need satisfaction is supported by the girls’ normative context. Significant moderation analyses are found for belonging and competence in both countries. When parents express more gender egalitarian norms, the satisfaction of the needs for relatedness and competence contribute more to girls’ positive self-regard. Implications for psychological theory and practice as well as the field of international development are discussed.