Making Change Happen – Know Your Worth

According to Dove, 61% of teenage girls struggle with low self-esteem – fuelled by social media that encourages comparison and accelerated by a pandemic that has dented social confidence. By the time they reach 18, girls are twice as likely to experience mental health conditions than boys, which inevitably has strong links with conditions such as anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, and low mood.

After working in a secondary school in Oxfordshire, Debs (The Founder of Know Your Worth) began to notice the impact of low self-esteem on our teenage girls, and how many girls were struggling and struggling with low motivation, self-consciousness and a lack of confidence. 

Some girls were slow to raise their hand in a lesson or volunteer answers for fear of being wrong or looking around them to check they were fitting in. Panic attacks, anxiety and low mood were among other symptoms of low self-esteem. For some it impacted their education, but more importantly, their sense of self-worth and true belonging.

This became the catalyst for Debs starting Know Your Worth. They wanted to help teenage girls build self-esteem and make good decisions. Earlier this year, we conducted some interviews with them about their work and this is what they had to say:

We are so proud to have Know Your Worth as one of our brilliant Changemakers. They have been running their incredible 8-week courses in schools and youth groups across Oxfordshire and Berkshire since 2022. 

All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

Today is the 12th day of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Even though Know Your Worth doesn’t directly support the space against gender-based violence, we know that girls are at particular risk of violence. The empowerment of young women to understand consent and how to be treated properly, set clear boundaries and boost their self-esteem away from the male gaze is such an important part of the Know Your Worth programme. Emilie, the course facilitator, explained to us how men and boys can support women and girls to be empowered.

We all have a part to play in building a world for women, girls, and all marginalised identities to feel safe, empowered, uplifted, and protected. As Emilie said, it isn’t just about blaming men (they also exist under patriarchal systems), but working together to unlearn harmful practices, learning ways of uniting together and finding solutions that bring about gender equity.

If you are searching for a way to uplift the young women around you, you need to speak to Debs and her amazing team. Enquire today about getting Know Your Worth into your School or Youth Club.