The ABCs of SBC

UNICEF SBC
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Social Sciences
  • Updated Weekly

How does social and behaviour change support child rights? We are on a mission to find out. Through interviews with experts from across the globe, this podcast explores what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is and whether it can move the needle forward in the battle for gender equality, climate action, and other complex challenges. Tune in to hear Social and Behaviour Change practitioners across a variety of disciplines share their knowledge, learnings, and experience on whether SBC can help us achieve better outcomes for children across the globe.  Uncover the limits and possibilities of SBC in various global issues  — without the complexity, while on your commute.  Learn more about UNICEF SBC at www.sbcguidance.org

  1. 6d ago

    SBC in Quality Health Information for All

    This episode is in English and Spanish! What if access to trustworthy health information was considered as important as access to healthcare itself? In this special bilingual (English & Spanish) episode of The ABCs of SBC, recorded live at the 2026 SBCC Summit in Panama City, we explore one of the biggest public health questions of our time: what does it actually mean to ensure everyone has access to quality health information? As social media, AI and digital platforms increasingly shape how people make decisions about their health, a new international Commission convened by Nature Medicine is working to define what "quality health information" really looks like, and how we can protect and promote it. Featuring voices from across the Commission and UNICEF, this episode explores why accurate information alone is never enough. We discuss the roles of trust, culture, community engagement and social and behaviour change in helping people make informed decisions about their health. A timely discussion on why quality health information isn't simply a communications challenge. It is becoming one of the defining determinants of health in the digital age. Featuring: Dr Scott Ratzan, Co-Chair, Nature Medicine Commission on Quality Health Information for AllBen Johnson, Editor-in-Chief, Nature HealthRafael Obregón, UNICEF Representative, NicaraguaMassimiliano Sani, Global Chief of Social and Behaviour Change, UNICEFDeepa Risal Pokharel, Senior SBC Adviser and Team Lead for Vaccine Acceptance and Demand, UNICEFShow notes: Quality Health Information for All CommissionUNICEF SBC GuidanceUNICEF Behavioural Drivers Model ¿Y si acceder a información de salud confiable fuese tan importante como el acceso a los servicios de salud? En este episodio especial bilingüe (inglés y español) de “The ABCs of SBC”, grabado en vivo durante la Conferencia de Comunicación para el Cambio Social y de Comportamiento (CCSC)  2026 en la Ciudad de Panamá, exploramos una de las preguntas más relevantes en salud pública de nuestra época: ¿qué significa realmente garantizar que todas las personas tengan acceso a información de salud de calidad? A medida que las redes sociales, la inteligencia artificial y las plataformas digitales moldean cada vez más la forma en que las personas toman decisiones sobre su salud, una nueva comisión internacional convocada por Nature Medicine trabaja para definir en qué consiste realmente la "información de salud de calidad" y cómo podemos protegerla y promoverla. Con la participación de representantes de la Comisión y de UNICEF, este episodio analiza por qué la información verídica, por sí sola, no es suficiente. Abordamos el rol que desempeñan la confianza, la cultura, la participación comunitaria y el cambio social y de comportamiento para ayudar a las personas a tomar decisiones informadas sobre su salud. Una conversación oportuna sobre por qué la información de salud de calidad no es simplemente un desafío de comunicación; y cómo se está convirtiendo en uno de los determinantes clave de la salud en la era digital. Participantes: Dr. Scott Ratzan, copresidente de la Comisión de *Nature Medicine* sobre Información de Salud de Calidad para TodosBen Johnson, editor jefe de *Nature Health*Rafael Obregón, representante de UNICEF en NicaraguaMassimiliano Sani, jefe mundial de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento, UNICEFDeepa Risal Pokharel, asesora sénior de Cambio Social y de Comportamiento (SBC) y líder del equipo de Aceptación y Demanda de Vacunas, UNICEFNotas del episodio: Comisión sobre Información de Calidad para TodosOrientaciones de UNICEF sobre SBC (Comunicación para el Cambio Social y de Comportamiento)Modelo de determinantes del comportamiento de UNICEFThe views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Quality Health Information for All

  2. Jun 24

    SBC in Ending Child Marriage

    Every three seconds, a girl under 18 is married somewhere in the world. While global rates of child marriage have declined, millions of girls continue to face pressure to marry before they are ready, often shaped by a complex mix of social norms, economic realities, family expectations, and gender inequality. Laws matter, but as practitioners working on the issue know, legislation alone is rarely enough to change deeply rooted behaviours. In this episode, Qali explores what it takes to address child marriage through a social and behaviour change lens. From Nepal's Rupantaran programme, which helps girls build confidence, critical thinking skills, and aspirations beyond marriage, to Zambia's Coaching Boys into Men initiative, which challenges harmful ideas about masculinity, this conversation examines how change happens when entire systems begin to shift. Along the way, you'll hear stories of girls, boys, parents, religious leaders, and communities reimagining what is possible for the next generation. You'll hear from: Humberto Jaime, Chief of Social and Behaviour Change, UNICEF NepalPragya Shah Karki, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF NepalEdwin Mumba, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF ZambiaResources: Rupantaran Programme, NepalCoaching Boys into Men, ZambiaUNFPA–UNICEF Global Programme to End Child MarriageThe Child Marriage Data Portal Behavioral Surveys and Monitoring Tools for Child Protection and Harmful Practices | UNICEF SBC GUIDANCE Online Course: Summary of Exploring the Drivers of Behaviour: The Case of Child Marriage (English version)Online Course: Résumé de Explorer les Facteurs Comportementaux : Le Cas du Mariage d'Enfants (French version)The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Ending Child Marriage

  3. May 28

    SBC in Behavioural Insight Units in Government

    For decades, governments have tackled public health challenges with clear policies and well-funded campaigns, only to find that the outcomes don't always follow. Information alone rarely changes what people do. Across the world, behavioural insights units have quietly taken root inside governments, helping policymakers understand why people behave as they do, and what it actually takes to shift decisions in everyday life. In this episode, Qali follows the setup of a new Behavioural Insights Hub in Sri Lanka, a partnership between the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. From the first week-long workshop with senior health officials, to early interest from the President's office, to the disruption of Cyclone Ditwah just as the work was getting underway, this discussion explores what it takes to build behavioural science capacity inside government, and why the slower work of testing, learning, and embedding new ways of thinking is where real change happens. You'll hear from: Dr Ranjith Batuwanthudawe, Director of the Health Promotion Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri LankaUkasha Ramli, Global Behavioural Science Lead at UNICEFRavinda Panchal Abeysinghe Wanninayake Mudiyanselage, Social and Behaviour Change Officer at UNICEF Sri LankaDr. Senal Fernando, Medical Officer - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri LankaDr. Ganga Tennakoon, Registrar - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri LankaDr. Amanthi Bandusena, Consultant Community Physician - Health Promotion Bureau, Sri LankaResources: Video on the Behaviour Insights training conducted in Sri Lanka Please email sbc@unicef.org to learn more about UNICEF's work supporting behavioural insights units inside governmentThe views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Behavioural Insight Units in Government

  4. Feb 9

    SBC in Ending Violence in Schools

    A good school is a place where a child learns one powerful belief: I matter. When children feel safe, heard, and valued at school, it can change everything - how they see themselves, how they learn, and how they imagine their future. Yet for millions of children around the world, violence remains a routine part of school life, shaping childhoods in ways that are both harmful and deeply normalized. In this episode of The ABCs of SBC, we explore how social and behavior change approaches are helping to transform schools - and why ending violence in education systems is both possible and essential. Drawing on powerful stories and evidence from Uganda and beyond, we unpack what it truly takes to build a “good school.” Qali is joined by three leaders working at the forefront of education and child protection: Dipak Naker, Executive Director of the Coalition for Good SchoolsGemma Wilson-Clark, Head of Secretariat, Safe to Learn CoalitionHope Wambi, Violence Against Children Prevention Coordinator at Raising VoicesTogether, they examine why laws alone are not enough, how deeply held beliefs about discipline and power shape school culture, and what it means to take a whole-school, system-wide approach to change. You’ll hear how shifting social norms, redistributing power, and giving children real voice and agency can dramatically reduce violence — including evidence from the Good School Toolkit, which reduced corporal punishment by over 40% in participating schools. From classrooms to communities to national policy, this episode shows that when schools change, childhoods change. Resources: Good Schools ToolkitSafe to Learn CoalitionCoalition for Good Schools Raising Voices The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Ending Violence in Schools

  5. Jan 22

    Data Science and SBC

    How can behavioural data science improve social and behaviour change (SBC) programs? Where do machine learning and AI genuinely add value? And what can goat markets teach us about human behaviour? In this episode, we explore the emerging field of behavioural data science: how it reveals patterns, frictions, and hidden levers in datasets that weren’t necessarily collected with human behaviour in mind. Recorded at the Behavioural Horizons Workshop at UNICEF’s Office of Strategy and Evidence (Innocenti) in Florence, we hear from behavioural scientists, data scientists, and humanitarian practitioners working at the frontier. They share why better data starts with better questions, why context and culture still matter in a world of algorithms, and how behavioural data science can narrow the gap between evidence, decisions, and people’s lived realities. It’s a candid look at the opportunities, risks, and human choices that determine whether behavioural data science can help drive meaningful behaviour change. You’ll hear from: Benjamin Hickler, UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence, InnocentiLuke Montuori, Senior Psychometrician Rebecca Moreno Jimenez, Innovation Team, UNHCR Rafael Batista, Princeton University Chiara Cappellini, Behavioural Science Group, UAE Alexandra DeFilippo, Sistema Futura Patrick Forscher, Busara Center for Behavioural ScienceResources: Learn more about UNICEF Innocenti (https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/) Learn more about UNICEF BIRD Lab (https://www.unicefbirdlab.org/) The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    Data Science and SBC

  6. 10/09/2025

    SBC in Faith Engagement to End Harmful Practices

    For generations, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage have been justified as traditions of identity and belonging, and have, at times, been linked to misinterpretations of religious text – even as they cause life long harm. Today, faith leaders across Africa and the Middle East are reshaping these beliefs from within their own communities, using their moral authority and influence to redefine these traditions and protect the next generation. In this episode, Qali Id speaks with faith leaders and UNICEF specialists from Uganda, The Gambia, and Iraq to explore how faith engagement is helping end harmful practices, in particular FGM. From sermons that reinterpret religious teachings, to interfaith alliances confronting resistance, to tea-circle conversations that replace top-down campaigns, this discussion reveals how transformation takes root when it begins within communities themselves. You’ll hear from: Sheikh Abdallah Sabila, Imam and advocate from UgandaDr. Nassim Majidi, Director and Co-founder of Samuel Hall, KenyaMomat Jallow, SBC Specialist at UNICEF The GambiaHadeer Albo Heae, SBC Manager at UNICEF IraqResources: UNICEF Faith Engagement guide on Harmful Practices, developed in collaboration with Religious for Peace and Samuel HallDo you want to learn more on how does Social and Behaviour Change supports interventions in Child Protection? Tune in to our ABCs of SBC podcast’s episode on SBC in Social Norms and Harmful Practices, SBC in Preventing Violence Against Girls, Boys and Women, and SBC in Online Child Protection.The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Faith Engagement to End Harmful Practices

  7. 09/29/2025

    SBC in Community System Strengthening

    Sudan is living through war and mass displacement. Yemen faces one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. And in Moldova, far from active conflict but still grappling with inequality, Roma communities remain excluded from the very systems meant to serve them. Across these vastly different contexts, one question emerges: how do communities themselves step in to sustain and shape the systems around them? In this episode, host Qali Id speaks with UNICEF SBC specialists from Sudan, Yemen, and Moldova to explore the unexpected power of trust, local leadership, and cultural respect in strengthening systems. From youth-run resistance committees, to volunteer health networks, to trusted Roma leaders bridging gaps in access, this conversation highlights how Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) enables communities not just to survive—but to lead the way toward more inclusive and resilient futures. You'll hear from: Maha Abasher Khalid Osman, SBC Specialist at UNICEF SudanCristina Stratulat, SBC Officer at UNICEF Moldova Abdullah Alshehari, SBC Specialist at UNICEF YemenResources: Harnessing community engagement and multisectoral SBC approaches to address vaccine hesitancy in Moldova | UNICEF MoldovaHome | UNICEF SBC GUIDANCE Related episodes: Episode 5 - SBC in Support of System Strengthening (Apple) (Spotify) Episode 11 - Community Delivery Platforms (Apple) (Spotify)The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Community System Strengthening

  8. 08/06/2025

    SBC in Online Child Protection

    The internet is where kids learn, play, and connect, but it’s also where they can be bullied, exploited, surveilled, and manipulated. As digital threats evolve faster than the systems designed to protect children, how do we keep them safe in a world that’s always online? From outdated legal frameworks to overwhelmed parents and disconnected protection services, this episode highlights not just the risks children face online, but the opportunities to involve them and their caregivers as co-designers of safer digital spaces, and how SBC offers a way forward. You'll hear from: Afrooz Kaviani Johnson, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF HeadquartersMahwish Saeed Syed, SBC Officer at UNICEF PakistanSaji Thomas, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Gulf Area OfficeResources: “Digitial Parenting” on the Parent HubExplore how UNICEF is tackling violence and exploitation in the digital environment, including a range of actions for parents, governments and companies to keep children safe online.The views and opinions expressed by the contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of UNICEF or any entities they represent. The content here is for information purposes only. The ABCs of SBC is hosted by Qali Id and produced and developed by UNICEF in partnership with Common Thread. Check out UNICEF’s latest publication on Social and Behaviour Change, Hidden in Plain Sight, a celebration of the everyday heroes on the frontlines of public health outbreaks, or the first publication, Why don’t you just behave! For more information about UNICEF SBC, check out the programme guidance. We care about what you think — you can share your thoughts on the podcast using this feedback form. For all other inquiries, please contact sbc@unicef.org.

    SBC in Online Child Protection
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About

How does social and behaviour change support child rights? We are on a mission to find out. Through interviews with experts from across the globe, this podcast explores what Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is and whether it can move the needle forward in the battle for gender equality, climate action, and other complex challenges. Tune in to hear Social and Behaviour Change practitioners across a variety of disciplines share their knowledge, learnings, and experience on whether SBC can help us achieve better outcomes for children across the globe.  Uncover the limits and possibilities of SBC in various global issues  — without the complexity, while on your commute.  Learn more about UNICEF SBC at www.sbcguidance.org

Information

  • Creator
    UNICEF SBC
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The ABCs of SBC
  • Show Website
    The ABCs of SBC

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