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Th e enduring experience of hardship, in the form of layers of various crises, can become deeply ingrained in a society, and people can come to act and react under these conditions as if they lead a normal life. This process is explored through the analytical concept of duress, which contains three elements: enduring and accumulating layers of hardship over time, the normalization of this hardship, and a form of deeply constrained agency. We argue that decisions made in duress have a significant impact on the social and political structures of society. This concept of duress is used as a lens to understand the lives of individual people and societies in Central and West Africa that have a long history of ecological, political, and social conflicts and crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Africa, the rights of adolescent girls and young women in terms of sexual and reproductive health are strongly influenced by social norms. This article delves into the pivotal role these norms play in the abortion decisions and experiences of young women aged 15-24 in Benin. An ethnographic approach was adopted for data collection among young women who have undergone abortion, their confidants, and other community members. The findings reveal that these young women face a threefold normative burden in their social environment. They juggle contradictory norms that simultaneously stigmatise early pregnancies, hinder proper sexual education, and strongly condemn abortion. These normative pressures often drive their resort to abortions, typically carried out under unsafe conditions. The study also highlights the significant role parents play in the abortion decisions and processes of teenagers under 20. When men are involved in seeking care for abortion, adolescents and young women usually access safer procedures. However, their access to aftercare and contraception following an abortion is hindered by the social norms of healthcare professionals. In addition to broadening the conditions of access to abortion in Benin in October 2021, it is imperative to implement interventions centred on value clarification, raising awareness of adolescents' rights, combating obstetric violence, and social stigmatisation. These measures are crucial to alleviate the weight of social norms bearing down on these young women. DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2023.2294793.