Developed by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the Dove Self-Esteem Project, and the Centre for Appearance Research, the Free Being Me programme has reached over 6.5 million participants across 80 countries. It empowers young people to challenge unrealistic beauty ideals and promotes a world where everyone feels free to be themselves.
Mehruba Haque, a Junior Research Fellow at Estonian Business School (EBS) who studies adolescent body image, has actively implemented the Free Being Me programme with secondary school students in Estonia. “Helping young people unlearn harmful beauty stereotypes is essential,” she explains. “It’s a deeply personal conversation, but thanks to the group-based format and the creation of a brave space, many voices were heard.”
What made the course particularly impactful was the openness and depth of the conversations. Students took part in scenario-based exercises, analysing real-life situations involving body talk and learning how to respond in a constructive way. One participant shared, “I learned how to make others feel better,” while another reflected, “I’m not very good at talking, but this was the first time I felt I had the chance to explore a topic so deeply.”
A highlight of the sessions was the rare opportunity to examine the beauty standards imposed on boys and young men — an area students felt is often overlooked in public discourse. These discussions sparked powerful reflections on how appearance-related pressures affect people of all genders.
Although not every topic was easy to discuss, and some students had encountered similar material before, the overall feedback highlighted the transformative power of creating space for honest, empathetic dialogue.
With the goal of reaching an additional three million young people by 2025, Free Being Me continues to inspire change around the world. Read more at www.free-being-me.com
