{"id":42450,"date":"2019-01-09T19:11:46","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T03:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=42450"},"modified":"2019-01-25T14:58:30","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T22:58:30","slug":"are-experiences-for-women-making-the-outdoors-more-inclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/are-experiences-for-women-making-the-outdoors-more-inclusive","title":{"rendered":"Are Experiences for Women Making the Outdoors More Inclusive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kayaking and backcountry skiing clinics. Social media platforms. Mountain bike races. Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock, it\u2019s almost impossible not to take note of how experiences for women have permeated the modern world.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a model that has spread through industries in <\/span>recent years as a way to amplify women\u2019s achievements and elevate the number of women in male-dominated sectors, from business and finance to media\u2014and it\u2019s caught on with stunning popularity in the outdoor sector. While it isn\u2019t new for a group of women to head out together for an adventure, the structured approach to experiences geared toward women has gained significant momentum.<\/span><\/p>\n

The question at hand: Is this model effective in leveling the playing field, or has it gone too far to authentically facilitate true integration of women in adventure sports that have historically been dominated by men?<\/span><\/p>\n

In speaking with both leaders and recreationists who are women in the outdoor industry, the answer is unequivocally <\/span>yes<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>it\u2019s effective. <\/span><\/i>Of course it has pitfalls, but most will emphatically testify that this participation model is responsible for beginning to increase women\u2019s integration and the recognition of women as major players in the outdoor scene. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Overcoming a Popular Narrative<\/b><\/p>\n

Popular narrative around outdoor activities have trained those who identify as women that they aren’t fast enough, strong enough or fearless enough to keep up with men. Karen Warren noted in \u201c<\/span>Gender in Outdoor Studies<\/span><\/a>\u201d that in a study analyzing popular outdoor advertising, \u201cconclusions showed that women were depicted as participating in less physically and time demanding engagements in outdoor pursuits, were shown as followers rather than leaders, and were seen as either escaping from motherhood or being the instigator of outdoor time with their families\u201d (McNiel, Harris & Fondren, 2012).<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand how we\u2019ve internalized this thinking in outdoor culture, consider this example: There\u2019s a backcountry ski line on Rogers Pass in British Columbia called the \u201cGirlfriend Run.\u201d In this big-mountain paradise full of complex terrain that requires no small amount of knowledge and skill, the Girlfriend Run is closest to the parking lot, short and mellow\u2014the one you apparently take your girlfriend on because it\u2019s easy. Otherwise, as we\u2019ve all heard so many times that we\u2019ve internalized it without even being aware, she\u2019s likely to get scared, start crying and want to go home.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is compounded by popular outdoor media that shapes the way we think women should look. \u201cThe dominant model in white American culture centers on fitness, youth and body shape,\u201d said Jenny Bruso<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>the founder of <\/span>Unlikely Hikers<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe outdoor world is behind so many things\u2014we\u2019re still seeing such weird objectifying ads and stories about women.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

This theme<\/span> is a big and intimidating<\/span> barrier to entry for women looking to get into outdoor activities for the first time: If you perceive that you\u2019re always the weak link in mixed company, it\u2019s pretty hard to want to put yourself in that situation. Many women guides and mentors will verify this, like Emily Slaco, a mountain bike guide with Tyax Adventures on the coast of British Columbia. A few years ago, she started to notice that lots of women would stay behind at the campsites while their partners who were men went riding. \u201cI\u2019d ask why they weren\u2019t out there too, and I\u2019d always get the same story: <\/span>I don\u2019t want to hold anyone back<\/span><\/i>.\u201d It can be tough to learn new skills, participate on equal footing and lead in a culture where many parties have internalized this kind of story.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a pervasive narrative that\u2019s reflected across the industry. In\u00a0<\/span>REI\u2019s own 2017 study<\/span><\/a> on women in the outdoors, six in 10 women said that men\u2019s interests in outdoor activities are taken more seriously than women\u2019s and that men are taken more seriously than women when shopping at sporting goods stores.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experiences for women in the outdoor realm tend to be effective because they allow for entry, growth and opportunities to lead outside of that age-old narrative that women are slower, weaker or less serious about adventure sports.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Crossing<\/p>\n

\u201cAny way that we can stop ourselves from using the language that women\u2019s worth is only measured in how good they are at elite sports that are <\/span>hard<\/span><\/i> to get good at, that take a lot of money and time to get good at\u2014that\u2019s hugely effective,\u201d said Claire Smallwood, executive director of\u00a0<\/span>SheJumps<\/span><\/a>. Smallwood founded the organization 10 years ago with athletes Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce to increase the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities, with the understanding that confidence in the outdoors can translate to reaching one\u2019s highest potential in other aspects of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a way for women to pursue the activities they love without some of the social pressures they may experience in mixed gender settings. \u201cAffinity spaces tend to be effective because there will be base-level experiences that are already understood that inform a lot of our behavior,\u201d Bruso said. \u201cEven if we\u2019re not talking about those experiences or analyzing that, that fundamental understanding puts you more at ease.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tyler, a high school senior who\u2019s part of the\u00a0<\/span>Venture Out Project<\/span><\/a> that connects\u00a0LGBTQ youth and adults to the outdoors, started mountain biking when she was 14, and progressed quickly on the trails. Riding with predominantly men in the Florida mountain biking community, she experienced both put-downs from men who assumed she couldn\u2019t keep up, and another factor that can affect women in adventure sports: \u201cI experienced a lot of sexualization from men, to the point where I was always worried about being in male-dominated spaces. When I started going on a few women-only rides, it was so relieving that it wasn\u2019t something I even had to think about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Monumental Importance of Role Models<\/b><\/p>\n

SheJumps also aims to provide girls with the strong women role models its founders never had in the outdoors\u2014an issue that on its own could carry the argument for why experiences geared toward women are effective. \u201cFor me personally, founding SheJumps came from wanting the identity from a young age of being a woman in the outdoors and not having had many, if any, role models to look up to,\u201d said Smallwood. \u201cIt\u2019s a bigger conversation about diversity in the outdoors, this barrier to entry of \u2018No one looks like me who\u2019s doing this, so why should I think I can do it?\u2019 We need to see people who look like us, role models that make us think we can do it, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Women of color have even fewer role models in the outdoor world. When Bethany Lebewitz<\/a> founded Brown Girls Climb<\/a>, she saw a mix of women showing up, from experienced climbers to newbies. She was still looking at herself as a fairly new climber then, and identified with the women who were just starting out and didn\u2019t have many culturally relevant role models. But, she said, \u201cI saw a Colombian woman who had just finished her 12a project, and I thought, \u2018Maybe I could start sport climbing.\u2019 It had a positive effect on my approach and how I saw myself developing as a climber, and how I could also contribute my knowledge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Those role models can also be mentors, and the mentorship that clinics and groups for women foster is critical for actually keeping women involved in outdoor activities.<\/span> \u201cIt\u2019s what’s been seen in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] also: Mentorship or a support system are key factors in retention, especially with regard to higher level leadership positions,\u201d said Lebewitz. \u201cThis is what we do with Brown Girls Climb. The women that we mentor are interested in developing as climbers and some are interested in entering the outdoor industry\u2014but because they\u2019ll be going into white, male-dominated spaces, it will be challenging. We have to remind each other why that struggle is worth it, not only for ourselves but for our community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Constant<\/p>\n

Many women will testify that the support system is an attractive feature of experiences for women, especially in the realm of adventure sports that has traditionally embodied masculine traits of competition and aggression. A recent SheJumps survey found that community, rather than competition, is a major way that women connect and approach the outdoors. \u201cEven though your mountain bike ride is your individual experience, you still want to share it with people,\u201d explained Smallwood. <\/span><\/p>\n

Elevating the Women\u2019s Platform as a Whole<\/b><\/p>\n

Along those lines, the permeation of women\u2019s offerings elevates the women\u2019s platform as a whole in the outdoors, sort of like a giant exercise in Shine Theory. Popularized by Ann Friedman and <\/span>Aminatou Sow<\/span>, Shine Theory says that rather than viewing the most successful, powerful, skilled (insert extreme attribute here) woman as competition, women\u2019s success can empower other women. Furthermore, teaming up to amplify each other\u2019s achievements can ultimately elevate an entire segment. The concept\u00a0<\/span>was made famous<\/span><\/a> by a group of aids in the Obama administration who practiced this strategy to successfully bring more women into a cabinet where they were outnumbered.<\/span><\/p>\n

The origin story of\u00a0<\/span>Camber Outdoors<\/span><\/a>, which aims to accelerate equity in the outdoors from the boardroom to the backcountry<\/a>, echoes this principle. Founder Ann Krcik from The North Face and Carolyn Cooke, founder of Isis, one of the first outdoor brands for women, recognized there were few women on the corporate side of the outdoor industry. \u201cAnn and Carolyn came at it from the concept that if they weren\u2019t looking after each other as women in the industry, then no one else would be,\u201d said Deanne Buck, Camber Outdoors executive director. \u201cThis was, and in some ways still is, counter to the popular narrative that\u2019s out there that women are sometimes their own worst enemy and tend not to help other women.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Effective Environment for Learning Skills & Leadership<\/b><\/p>\n

Talk to any guide in the outdoor community, and they\u2019ll likely name a nearly identical set of factors as common barriers to entry for women in the outdoors: A lack of confidence in skills, a subsequent lack of confidence in decision-making in adventure sport missions, and fears of not being able to keep up and holding back a group. These observations are mirrored in a study by <\/span>Snowsports Industries America <\/span>and RRC Associates<\/span><\/a> that found women new to snowsports consistently listed four major hurdles when entering a new sport: intimidation and lack of confidence, inadequate knowledge of gear, uncertainty in how to plan outdoor outings, and cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

The designed-for-women model recognizes those barriers to entry and seeks to address the narrative that has shaped traditional outdoor culture. It provides a space for learning skills and building confidence within a context that makes sense for a particular group. \u201cWith <\/span>climbing, there\u2019s a lot of risk involved,\u201d noted Lebewitz. \u201cIn order to be a skilled and competent climber and lead people outdoors, you have to have a high confidence level, and how do you develop that? The style of many women, and women\u2019s groups, typically involves a lot of external feedback and recognition of the individual. At Brown Girls Climb meetups, we always go through <\/span>pronouns<\/span><\/a>, where you\u2019re coming from, skill level, but we also provide feedback. At the end of the day, there\u2019s an opportunity to say, \u2018Here\u2019s what I think I did well and here\u2019s what I want to work on.\u2019 You don\u2019t get that from just hanging out on the crag. We need to identify our own strengths and continue building on those.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The premise here is that such affinity spaces allow for effective skill, confidence and leadership development that can then be translated back into mixed group situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBack when I was getting into climbing, I realized I would give decision-making over to my male partners\u2014especially in technical parts like leading and choosing routes,\u201d said Buck. \u201cSo my girlfriend and I went to Joshua Tree and made a promise to ourselves that we wouldn\u2019t climb something unless we led it from the ground to the top. That took away my excuses\u2014all our choices were fully ours to own. That\u2019s why so many offerings for women focus on skills: Women tend to be socialized to learn differently than men in American culture, and it\u2019s about being respectful that the historical approach to entering new activities has a gendered and culturally influenced foundation, even if we don\u2019t label it as such.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Does It Create a Separate Playing Field Rather than Leveling the Common One?<\/b><\/p>\n

Many (both women and men) point out that a pitfall of the predominance of experiences for women is that they don’t actually level the existing playing field; they just create a totally separate one and miss the point of integrating women more equally in the outdoor arena.<\/span><\/p>\n

It could be argued that there are different playing fields\u2014that there are physiological differences that mean that men are simply faster and stronger. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stephanie<\/p>\n

But physiology doesn\u2019t necessarily dictate the edge. Many of the first-evers in adventure sports belong to women: Lynn Hill with the first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan, Kit DesLauriers skiing off all seven of the world\u2019s highest summits, Christina Lustenberger ticking off big mountain first descents left and right, Ashima Shiraishi becoming the youngest person to climb a V15, Denise Mueller-Korenek’s recent record as the fastest person on a bicycle\u2014the list goes on.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a domain like the outdoors\u2014where masculinity has prevailed for decades\u2014programming for women is a first step toward promoting greater inclusion and participation in the outdoor world. It\u2019s about recognition of women as legitimate players in the outdoors and all the parts that add up to a whole of being a representative part of the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We\u2019re seeing that women have more background information, technical knowledge and experience, so that it\u2019s not enough to just shrink it and pink it anymore,\u201d said Smallwood. Experiences for women are about \u201c<\/span>the concept of equity to bring the pendulum to the middle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And once it\u2019s in the middle, says Buck, it\u2019s about translating that into the everyday experience so that designed-for-women spaces are an option\u2014but they\u2019re no longer necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Editor\u2019s note: <\/span><\/i>This story is part of a dialogue on the topic of representation and the outdoors. It should be noted that the current binary gender model limits conversations about participation. Transgender, nonbinary, intersex people and others, for example, may feel rejected by a framework that makes assumptions about their ability to pursue outdoor goals based on physiology and genetic makeup. There is work that needs to be done to push beyond the bounds of our current systems of understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

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