White Suits Girls embodies the spirit of challenging gender inequality and prejudice through creative representation. By reimagining the traditional symbol of white wedding dresses with empowering white judo uniforms, the campaign directly addresses "strengthened" cultural norms surrounding early marriage and empowers girls to chase their dreams freely. Through its innovative approach, the campaign aims to positively impact gender representation and promote societal change, aligning perfectly with the goals of Glass: The Lion for Change.

The "White Suits Girls" campaign was made for Azerbaijan, a country where early marriages are a big issue. With 2,011 babies born to girls under 18 due to these marriages, urgent intervention was needed. Moreover, in sports like judo, where only 6% of athletes were girls out of 16,867, there was a clear need to empower girls and break gender barriers.

In Azerbaijan, many people think it's more important for girls to marry early than to follow their dreams. But our campaign said girls can be strong and chase their dreams. We used white judo uniform to show this shift from the traditional white wedding dress. This white judo uniform represents strength and freedom for girls.

The campaign happened at the same time as more people were talking about early marriages, which was a good time to make a difference. By offering free judo uniforms and training, it aimed to empower girls and reshape cultural norms, promoting gender equality in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijan Judo Federation prioritizes gender equality, empowerment, and inclusivity within sports. Recognizing judo as more than just a martial art, the Federation emphasizes its core values of respect, kindness, and equality, advocating for these principles to be upheld in both sports and society.

This work, White Suits Girls, tackled gender representation issues by reimagining the traditional symbol of white wedding dresses as empowering white judo uniforms. By showcasing parents choosing judo over early marriage in a short film, the campaign challenged societal norms. Through strategic messaging and targeted outreach, campaign aimed to promote judo as not only a sport but also a platform for gender equality and empowerment.

Brief:

Campaign against Azerbaijan's early marriages, empower girls in judo, encourage families to prioritize daughters' dreams over marriage.

Objectives:

- Raise awareness about early marriage.

- Empower girls in sports.

- Increase female sports participation.

- Spark discussions on girls' rights.

In Azerbaijan, economic factors often drive early marriage, as families may believe it offers financial stability for their children. However, this overlooks the aspirations and dreams of the individuals involved. Additionally, conservative attitudes, influenced by past traditions, perpetuate the practice.

The White Suits Girls campaign challenged these norms, highlighting judo as a pathway to empowerment. It emphasized values like honor and respect, offering girls the chance to pursue their dreams and become champions. Utilizing SMS and local TV shows, the campaign effectively reached even remote regions, fostering inclusivity and partnership in promoting gender equality and social progress.

Our campaign, White Suits Girls, redefines the symbol of traditional white wedding dress by replacing them with empowering white judo uniforms. These uniforms embody more than just sportswear; they show the potential for girls to chase their dreams. This bold change challenges "strengthened" cultural norms and empowers girls to dream a future defined by their desire. Through our innovative idea, we transform the judo uniform into a symbol of empowerment, independence, and the fight for gender equality. This creative concept emerged from a deep understanding of the prevalence of early marriage in specific regions, driving us to craft a film showcasing parents choosing judo enrollment for their daughters over early marriage.

Additionally, we employed innovative strategies like SMS outreach to engage parents in high-risk regions. Customized messages highlighted judo's benefits, challenging traditional views and calling parents to act. These methods creatively made awareness about our message, causing positive social change.

Our insights were drawn from various sources, including data from the State Statistics Committee, which revealed that in 2022, 2,011 babies were born to underage girls in Azerbaijan. Additionally, only 15% of athletes in the country were female, with just 1,067 girls out of 16,867 judo athletes.

Using this data, we mapped out regions with high rates of early marriage and targeted parents living there. We utilized SMS outreach, billboard advertisements, and the opening of judo schools to engage with these parents.

Through SMS, TV programs, and billboards, we called parents to take action by registering their daughters for judo, offering free judo uniforms, and providing a month of training. Our call to action was clear: we encouraged parents to empower their daughters by enrolling them in judo and taking advantage of the free resources available.

The campaign implementation involved multiple strategies. SMS outreach targeted parents in high early marriage regions, encouraging judo enrollment. Billboards strategically reinforced the message. Judo schools were opened with free uniforms and training.

Covering several months, the campaign began with research, planning, and a short film launch. SMS, billboards, and TV show placement followed. Judo schools opened, providing further support. Notably, on the first day, over one hundred girls joined, increasing the campaign's impact and sparking nationwide discussion.

Campaign elements were placed across various channels: SMS, billboards, TV, digital, and judo competitions like Grand Slam, ensuring broad reach and engagement.

The campaign covered the entire country, with particular emphasis on regions identified as high-risk. Its influence extended globally, gathering recognition from the International Judo Federation, thus strengthening its impact on an international scale.

The White Suits Girls campaign made a profound impact on advancing SDG 5: Gender Equality. It notably contributed to societal change by doubling girls' participation in judo within a month, using the judo as a tool for empowerment against early marriage.

The campaign significantly advanced gender equality by empowering girls to chase their dreams freely. It doubled female judo participation, registering 1000 girls, and reshaped societal norms surrounding early marriage. Parents changed their perception and beliefs about early marriages, registering their daughters in judo, reflecting meaningful behavior change.

Moreover, the campaign positively affected business, enhancing the Azerbaijan Judo Federation's image and increasing the likelihood of future champions emerging from judo community.

The International Judo Federation nominated White Suits Girls as one of the best social projects, further solidifying its impact. Campaign was lauded by National Olympic Committee and Ministry of Youth and Sports as the best campaign of the year.

The White Suits Girls campaign is set to keep empowering girls and challenging societal norms around early marriage, aiming for lasting change. By partnering with more judo schools, using digital platforms, and teaming up with local and international groups, the campaign plans to reach more people and push for policy changes. Moving forward, the focus will be on building on the campaign's success, measuring impact, and advocating for systemic changes to create lasting positive effects for everyone involved.