Advancing Women in the Science of Beauty

When Mrs. Estée Lauder started her company at her kitchen table more than 75 years ago, she acted as a one-woman product development department, expertly crafting products that met consumers’ needs.

Today, this blend of innovation and creativity is a cornerstone of The Estée Lauder Companies’ approach to invention, where women comprise 70% of our scientists and technical professionals and women lead all of our global R&D and Innovation Centers. Around the world—from the Innovation Labs in Shanghai, China, to our research salon in Blaine, Minnesota—these teams are proof of a modern STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industry, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, state-of-the-art chemistry, AI, and deep consumer insights.

We’re proud of the advancements we continue to make, but there are still many gaps to overcome.

Across industries, globally, women represent only 28.2% of the STEM-focused workforce, compared with 47.3% of the workforce in non-STEM sectors. Furthermore, while women account for 25% of non-STEM leaders, they occupy just over 10% of STEM leadership positions.

Cultivating the Next Generation of STEM Talent

The gender gap in STEM starts early. Research shows that while 12-year-old girls and boys show a similar interest in computer science, boys are more likely to be encouraged to pursue technology by teachers, parents, and the media.

Studies find that most Gen Z girls and young women say they’re not interested in STEM careers because they don’t believe they would enjoy it (61%) or be good at it (57%).²

A key focus of this work is educating young women on the diverse opportunities within STEM careers. For instance, on Long Island, New York, where we have a longstanding R&D and manufacturing presence, ELC executives and R&D leaders partnered with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and local Hofstra University for their annual STEM conference. Additionally, in partnership with Spelman College, a global leader in STEM education for Black women, in Atlanta, Georgia, The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) helped to launch the inaugural Black Beauty STEMinist Lab Intensive and Symposia to offer students a week of hands-on training and networking with women of color who hold STEM roles in the beauty and personal care industry.

We also support numerous training and skills development programs for women and girls around the world. ELC’s Travel Retail division and ELCCF work closely with The Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organization, to support the STEM ConnectHer program in Japan, Korea, India, Malaysia, and Singapore that gives young women the skills to succeed in STEM careers through online training, mentorship, company site visits, and other professional development resources. Our brands are also dedicated to this cause; Estée Lauder has a longstanding partnership with Kode with Klossy, the non-profit founded by Global Brand Ambassador Karlie Kloss, that creates learning experiences for young women and gender expansive youth, inspiring them to pursue their passions in a technology-driven world.

Supporting a STEM Workforce and Advancing STEM Talent

Encouraging young women to pursue STEM is essential—but it’s far from enough. Within our organization and our communities, we are committed to helping to promote and retain women in STEM through career development, education, ongoing training, recognition, and support.

One of our flagship partnerships promotes gender equality in scientific research. For 7 years, ELC has partnered with Springer Nature, a leading scientific research publisher, to host the Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science. The awards spotlight early-career women researchers and work that encourages girls and young women to engage in STEM subjects. This year’s winner, the SwaTaleem Foundation, helps girls in New Delhi, India, study and remain in STEM fields. Ahead of the awards ceremony, ELC hosted a networking day at our R&D facilities in Melville, NY, for honorees to connect with some of our leading scientists.

Internally, we strive to support women in STEM roles at every stage of their careers. For entry-level talent, we host a slate of programs, like a specialized track in our ELC Presidential Associate Program designed to bring more women into data and analytics fields, and our longstanding R&D and Packaging STEM Internship Program for high-performing Engineering/Life Sciences undergraduate and master’s students. For ELC employees, our Open Doors STEM Women’s Leadership Initiative provides an interactive online leadership program for emerging talent, fostering skill development and authentic leadership. We also facilitate mentorship and networking opportunities through dozens of programs and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), with subgroups such as Women in Technology and Women in Supply Chain, which recently launched a cohort in Japan. Our Global Supply Chain function is also a member of "boom!", a global community that brings together a powerful, cross-industry community of women-identifying supply chain professionals for networking and learning opportunities, of which 100 women from ELC are members.

Partnership Beyond Our Walls

We also recognize the need to drive further impact beyond our walls, which is why we work with cross-sector and multilateral partners, leveraging our convening power as a global organization. Most recently, ELC assembled and supported numerous events and onstage conversations alongside the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and during Climate Week NYC in September 2023. We are a longtime partner of the UN Foundation, and During UNGA Week, we co-hosted an evening reception with the theme of “Access & Inclusion: Promoting Equality in an Era of Emerging Technology.” The conversation focused on the digital gender divide and the significant gaps in access to digital tools for women and girls, as well as the essential need for safer online spaces.

At ELC, we are proud to be part of the systemic work addressing the significant gender gap globally, within our communities, and through our long-term partnerships. When it comes to persistent challenges like the gender gap in representation and advancement in STEM, we know that we go further when we work together. We strive to serve as a bridge-builder in these efforts—listening, advocating for community-led solutions, and leveraging our resources to continue driving meaningful impact.

30+ Years of The Breast Cancer Campaign: Empowering Women through Research, Education, and Medical Services

ELC has been at the forefront of supporting the global breast cancer community for more than 30 years. At a time when breast cancer wasn’t spoken about openly, Evelyn H. Lauder saw an opportunity to bring awareness to the disease and address stigmas in women’s health. In 1992, she co-created the pink ribbon and founded The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign (The Campaign)—inspiring a global movement around its mission to help create a breast cancer free world for all. Together with The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF), The Campaign has funded more than $144 million for lifesaving research, education, and medical services around the world, with more than $114 million funding medical research through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). As part of its global impact, The Campaign funds numerous grants and programs that help accelerate opportunities for women in STEM.

¹ WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM GENDER GAP REPORT, 2024.
² www.code.org