Allergan Aesthetics and Girls Inc. Partner to Bridge the Gender Gap in STEM

-- A social media campaign kicks off in November with the goal of educating on the lack of female, diverse representation in STEM and raising up to $250,000 for Girls Inc.

-- Girls from Girls Inc. affiliates in Houston, St. Louis and Chicago will participate in a 'Breaking Barriers in STEM' virtual panel with leading, female healthcare providers

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, announces its fourth-consecutive year of partnership with Girls Inc. to support the engagement of high school aged girls interested in exploring a future in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

This two-pronged effort aims to educate on the impact of underrepresentation of female and diverse voices in the STEM field through a social media campaign. In addition, Girls Inc. girls nationwide will engage with and learn from the experiences and stories of successful, female role models on the 'Breaking Barriers in STEM' virtual panel. 

"Scientific advancement is the lifeblood of Allergan Aesthetics. Early exposure to STEM is crucial to spark interest and develop the next generation of female STEM leaders," says Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics and Senior Vice President, AbbVie. "By providing access to strong female mentors and raising awareness of the lack of female representation in STEM, we believe we can inspire girls nationwide to feel empowered to explore their options and excel."

THE STATE OF STEM

Recent research tells us that only 3% of STEM degrees are earned by black women and less than a quarter of STEM employees are women. Other findings include:

• Computer science and engineering are two of the most lucrative STEM fields. However, only 38% of women who major in computer science work in computer fields, and only 24% of women who major in engineering work in that field.¹
• Once women are working in STEM fields, 52% quit their jobs by mid-career, and high-tech companies alone, have an attrition rate of 41% for their female employees.²

CALL-TO-ACTION: SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Allergan Aesthetics will launch a two-week social media campaign designed to raise awareness of the impact of and lack of female representation in STEM with a call-to-action for Allergan Aesthetics followers on LinkedIn and Instagram that will run November 1 – November 15, 2022.

For every like, share, comment, or view of Allergan Aesthetics posts raising awareness about female representation or views on STEM, Allergan Aesthetics will donate $1 to Girls Inc. up to $250,000 to support the development of Girls Inc STEM programming.

"At Girls Inc., we provide high-quality, relevant, hands-on STEM programming," said President and CEO of Girls Inc. Stephanie J. Hull, Ph.D. "By exposing girls to fields they may not know about and encouraging their curiosity in these areas, we are helping them realize that they can help others through STEM. This exposure equips girls to pursue a post-secondary STEM education. We are grateful for Allergan Aesthetics' dedication to Girls Inc. and for their commitment  to helping us provide experiences that will create a pipeline for  future leaders in STEM."

About Allergan Aesthetics

At Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch. For more information, visit www.AllerganAesthetics.com.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy. We work with schools and in communities to provide the mentoring relationships, safe spaces, and evidence-based programming that are proven to help girls succeed. Girls build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead change in their lives and effect change in the world. Girls Inc. also works with and for girls to advance legislation and policies that increase opportunities for all girls. Together with partners and supporters, we are building a new generation of leaders. Join us at girlsinc.org.

¹ Funk, Cary, and Parker, Kim. (2018). Women and Men in STEM Often at Odds Over Workplace Equity. Pew Research Center. Retrieved August 16, 2022
² Hill, Catherine, Corbett, Christianne, and St. Rose, Adresse. (2010) Why So Few?: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Washington, DC: AAUW, p. 19.

SOURCE AbbVie