Preschool girls are 16% less likely to be taken outside than their male counterparts for playtime. Only 20% of women participate in outdoor adventures by the time they’re in their 60s, compared to over 40% of men. According to JAMA, the gender gap in outdoor activity participation continues to widen as girls grow.

For centuries, outdoor adventure has been culturally considered the domain of men—sometimes implicitly, though often explicitly—causing women to feel unsafe and unwelcome in outdoor spaces.

Research indicates that the outdoors can increase self confidence, improve body image, reduce anxiety and depression, as well as improve physical health, particularly for young women. So why are girls being left inside more often than their male counterparts?

According to the CDC, the average American teenager has more than four hours per day of screen time. The CDC notes that higher screen time has been linked to increases in anxiety and depression and other adverse health outcomes, particularly among adolescents. Time outdoors can reduce screen time and introduce teens to the transformative benefits of nature.