SDG: 5

If Zlatan can take a stand in the movement for gender equality - everyone can

Shanga Aziz
LOCKER ROOM TALK
Shanga Aziz is the founder and president of Locker Room Talk – an organization that visits sports teams and educates young guys in their locker rooms to talk about gender equality and how to change bad attitudes. The organization has received various of prizes, including best JA-company in Sweden, best social media strategy in Europe and the Number 10 scholarship from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish Football Association and Volvo.

Project

Locker Toom Talk has developed eight different sessions. Each session is 20 minutes and amounts to an eight week long program aiming to create a positive change in the long run. Out on the field, Locker Room Talk engages with boys in the age of 10 to 14 years old to talk about gender equality, changing attitudes and how we can create a new masculinity in order for us to give them a good start. We have borrowed exercises from different sports and we combine it with evidence-based education.

Impact story

Hannes is 13 years old from Sweden and plays handball in Norrkoping's handball club. At school, there have been those who have said that Hannes is not "man enough" because many consider long hair to be something just for girls. Hannes also says that he gets sad when many of the teachers join in and call him "the girl." This has generated a low self-esteem linked to his own gender. However, Hannes participated in Locker Rooms Talks eight-week program, and he says "After Locker Room Talk, I understand more about why guys live up to all expectations, and I now feel that it is easier for me to get out of the box of expectations and instead be myself.” (reference to film about expectations on guys).
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