THE SURVEY | Why We Did It To better understand women’s relationship to - and attitudes toward - the outdoors and the external pressures they face, REI surveyed 2,010 women between ages 18 to 35 in the U.S. in January 2017. Demographic data was weighted to a nationally representative sample including age, race, education and geographic region. THE HEADLINE | Women Say the Outdoors is Where They Feel Free According to survey data, nearly 7 out of 10 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. KEY FINDINGS | What We Learned Women face significant cultural pressures to conform. 7 out of 10 women believe that women are under more pressure to conform than men. Top pressures women hear include: “Be sexy” – 73 percent "Lose weight” – 72 percent “Smile more” – 69 percent The outdoors offers an escape from these pressures: More than 85 percent of all women surveyed believe the outdoors positively affects mental health, physical health, happiness and overall well-being Women who spend at least an hour a day outside on average feel happier, healthier and more equal to men than those who do not 74 percent see the outdoors as a place where they’re free from the pressures of everyday life 72 percent say they feel liberated or free when they are outdoors But women still face barriers to getting outside: Lack of time, accessibility (uncertainty regarding where to go and who to go with) and competing priorities are key barriers. Advancing in a career, furthering education and starting a family are considered just as important - if not more so - than spending time outside on a regular basis Additionally, more than 6 in 10 women say that men’s interests in outdoor activities are taken more seriously than women’s, and that men are taken more seriously than women when shopping at a sporting goods stores Women’s perceptions of themselves are surprising: 84 percent of women consider themselves at least “somewhat active,” yet only 32 percent describe themselves as “outdoorsy.” Even less – 18 percent – describe themselves as “athletic” Less than half of women believe that women and men are equal in the outdoors, even though 74 percent believe women know just as much as men do about the outdoors But women who spend time outdoors are more likely to feel: happy, adventurous, confident and fulfilled, and are more likely to feel equal to men across all areas of personal and professional life Women desire more time outdoors: 73 percent of women are actively looking to spend more time outdoors And, contrary to popular belief, 83 percent of millennial women say getting content for social media has no influence on their outdoor activities