REI’s 2017 National Study on Women and the Outdoors

In January 2017, REI Co-op set out to better understand women’s relationship to—and attitudes toward—the outdoors and the external pressures they face.

WHO

women 18 to 35

U.S.

HOW MANY WHEN HOW

January 2017

20 minute online

quantitative survey

n = 2,010

demographic data was weighted to a nationally representative sample*

METHODOLOGY

*weighted demographics include: age, education, race, geographic regionThis survey was conducted by Edelman Intelligence, an independent international research firm

We heard from 2,010 women between ages 18 to 35 in the U.S.

The sample reflected women nationally across geography, race and education.

33%

32%

8%

19%

7%

Graduated high school or less

Some college

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

Post-graduate degree

Age18-25: 42%26-35: 58%

Ethnicity Education

DEMOGRAPHICSChildren in household

Yes: 53%No: 47%

Income<$50k: 60%$50k+: 33%

2%

1%

6%

15%

22%

58%

Other

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian/Asian American

African American/Black

Hispanic/Latino

Caucasian/White

Here’s what we learned.

§ Women say the outdoors is where they feel free.§ Nearly three-quarters of women feel they are under more

pressure to conform to social norms than men. § They feel this pressure is coming from all directions. § But, importantly, our research also showed that women

see the outdoors as a way to escape these pressures and they want more time outside.

THE STORY

72% of women say they feel liberated or free when they are outdoors.

This sense of well-being acts in sharp contrast to the pressures women face in daily life.

Almost 7 in 10 women believe women are under more pressure to conform than men.

“Stop being so dramatic”

“Be sexy”

“You should lose weight”

“Don’t be so emotional”

“You should smile more”

73%

73%

72%

71%

69%

Social pressures are pervasive . . .

Please select how much you agree or disagree that each of the following statements represents a social pressure women face today. (Top 2 box <Somewhat/Completely agree> reported)

. . . and that pressure is coming from all directions

82%74% 69% 69%

61% 56%43%

Society in general

Social media

Mainstream media

Men Other women

Family Friends

But the outdoors offers an escape from these pressures.

69%

74%

“The outdoors is a place to escape the stresses of everyday life”

“I feel happier when I’m outdoors”

More than 85 percent of all women surveyed believe the outdoors positively affects mental health, physical health, happiness and overall well-being.

Spending time outdoors positively affects my . . .

75%

86%

86%

86%

87%MENTAL HEALTH

PHYSICAL HEALTH

OVERALL WELL-BEING

HAPPINESS

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

And women who spend at least an hour a day outside on average feel happier and healthier than those who don’t.

more time outside = happier

68%

52%

51%

22%

HAPPY

ADVENTUROUS

CONFIDENT

68%

52%

51%

SPENDS AT LEAST 1 HR. A DAY OUTSIDE ON AVERAGE

(36% of respondents)

SPENDS LESS THAN 1 HR. A DAY OUTSIDE ON AVERAGE (64% of respondents)

55%

33%

36%

Which of the following adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Please select all that apply.

more time outside = healthier

MENTAL HEALTH

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

PHYSICAL HEALTH

46%

45%

42%

SPENDS AT LEAST 1 HR. A DAY OUTSIDE ON AVERAGE

(36% of respondents)

SPENDS LESS THAN 1 HR. A DAY OUTSIDE ON AVERAGE (64% of respondents)

37%

35%

27%

How would you rate your current overall…? (Top 2 box (Very good/Excellent> reported)

But women still face barriers to getting outside. Women don’t feel they’re taken as seriously as men in the outdoors and role models are hard to come by.

… and that men are taken more seriously than women when shopping at a sporting goods stores.

More than 6 in 10 women say that men’s interests in outdoor activities are taken more seriously than women’s …

AND 6 IN 10 COULD NOT THINK OF AN OUTDOOR FEMALE ROLE MODEL.

Top mentions among those who could included Serena Williams, Jillian Michaels and Michelle Obama.

(While the above women are incredible, they’re distinct from women like Lindsey Vonn or Ashima Shiraishi)

Women’s appreciation for the outdoors starts young—and starts with moms.

More than any other woman or celebrity women cite their

mother as their top woman role model (35%)

REMAIN ACTIVE TODAY

CONSIDER SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE A ‘VERY HIGH

PRIORITY’

45%

42%

HIGHLY ENCOURAGED GIRLS* LESS ENCOURAGED GIRLS**

Women who were more encouraged to participate in outdoor activities as young girls are more likely to . . .

86%

26%

78%

11%

*Women who were encouraged as young girls to participate in outdoor activities ‘all the time/often’ **Women who were encouraged as young girls to participate in outdoor activities ‘sometimes/rarely/never’

importance of “having excitement / adventure

in your life”

HIGHLY ENCOURAGED GIRLS

LESS ENCOURAGED GIRLS

AND PLACE HIGHER VALUE ON ADVENTURE

64%

49%

2x more likely to report their

mother was the one encouraging them

1.5x more likely to report it’s important to them that their daughter has a relationship with the outdoors

Those who were more encouraged to spend time outside as young girls are . . .

Turns out that being outdoors offers a lot of goodness all the way around.

Feeling active Feeling free Feeling happy

61% 61% 60%

PHYSICAL MENTAL EMOTIONAL

Which of the following describe how you feel when you are outdoors? Please select all that apply.

It’s no wonder that 73% say they would like to spend even more time outside.

learn more at: www.rei.com/forceofnature