e.l.f. Beauty & Parity Release Sports Participation Impact Study

e.l.f. Beauty and Parity released a first-of-its-kind research report revealing a powerful, data-backed link between girls’ sports participation and women’s workplace performance. 

The study draws on over 9,500 respondents across the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, making it one of the largest and broadest studies of its kind. 

The report centers on the Everyday Athlete – women who played sports for at least three years before the end of high/secondary school and now work (or recently worked) full time – alongside pro women athletes, men and women board members and women with little or no sports experience. 

The findings are clear and consistent: women who played sports in their youth are more likely to…

• become workplace leaders
• aspire to senior leadership
• negotiate their salaries. 

The study found that:

• Nearly 90% of Everyday Athletes who have been promoted say a skill they learned in sports helped them move up.
• 69% of Everyday Athletes who have worked at least five years say the lessons they learned in sports are more important than ever in today’s workplace.
• Everyday Athletes are nearly 50% more likely to hold leadership roles at work than women who played less or no sports.
• Everyday Athletes are 37% more likely to aspire to senior leadership and nearly 25% more likely to have negotiated their salary than women who played less or no sports.
• 80% of women leaders who were Everyday Athletes say sports were an important part of growing up.
• 98% of the pro women athletes surveyed say sports helped prepare them to compete in life beyond their playing career.
• 85% of men and women board members surveyed say the lessons learned in sports are important for future board members.

These women also credit skills learned in sports with helping them advance professionally.

Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Brands, said:

“This research puts numbers behind what we’ve always believed. Building pathways for women in sports by investing in the players, leagues and their fans helps shape a brighter future for the next generation of changemakers. At e.l.f., we are committed to democratizing access to the playing field and to the boardroom so every legendary female has the access and the opportunity to change the e.l.f.ing game.”

This report sits at the intersection of e.l.f.’s two long-standing purpose commitments: Change the Board Game, the company’s commitment to boardroom equity and empowering.legendary.females., and its commitment to women’s sports. 

Both initiatives are rooted in creating access and accelerating pathways for the next generations of leaders.

The report will debut at the third Power of Women’s Sports Summit, produced by Billie Jean King Enterprises with e.l.f. as the presenting partner. 

The Power of Women’s Sports Summit brings together some of the most influential change makers in sports, business and entertainment together on a global stage, all united by a shared commitment to accelerate the progress in women’s sports as a marketplace.