Social expectations that define appropriate behavior for women and men. The different roles and behaviors of females and males, children as well as adults, are shaped and reinforced by gender norms within society. Differences in gender roles and behaviors often create inequalities, whereby one gender becomes empowered to the disadvantage of the other. Thus, in many societies, women are viewed as subordinate to men and have a lower social status, allowing men control over, and greater decision-making power than, women. Often inequalities in gender increase the risk of acts of violence by men against women. For instance, traditional beliefs that men have a right to control women make women and girls vulnerable to physical, emotional and sexual violence by men. (www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence)