Toymaker Mattel has launched a line of Barbie role model dolls to celebrate female scientists; and inspire girls into STEM careers.
The all-female line-up are experts in their field who have shown unprecedented courage and tenacity against the virus; and achieved greatness in their chosen careers. All six STEM/healthcare professionals from around the world are honoured for working tirelessly in the fight against Covid-19.
“We know the pandemic has been felt directly by children across the globe,” stated Mattel’s SVP and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls Lisa McKnight. “As the number one doll brand, we take great pride in leveraging Barbie’s platform to teach children about role models who are making a positive impact in our world; especially those who rose to the occasion during this challenging time. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes.”
GLOBAL ROLE-MODEL SCIENTISTS
The global line-up of women scientists honoured with a one-of-a-kind doll include:
- Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, the Professor of Vaccinology who led the development of the University of Oxford vaccine in the UK.
- Kirby White, an Australian doctor based in Victoria who pioneered Gowns for Doctors; an initiative behind surgical gowns that can be washed and reused by frontline workers during the pandemic.
- Amy O’Sullivan, the emergency room nurse who treated the first COVID-19 patient at the Wycoff Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
- Audrey Cruz, a frontline doctor in Las Vegas who fought discrimination.
- Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a Canadian psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto who battled systemic racism in healthcare.
- Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, a biomedical researcher who led sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil.
INSPIRING GIRLS IN STEM
Dr Gilbert, the UK professor who co-developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, said she hopes this will make it “more normal for girls to think about careers in science”. “My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a Vaccinologist,” she commented. “I am passionate about inspiring the next generation of girls into STEM careers; and hope that children who see my Barbie will realise how vital careers in science are to help the world around us.”
Barbie is also making a donation to Professor Gilbert’s chosen STEM-focused organisation WISE (Women in Science & Engineering) in the UK to support My Skills My Life; an outreach resource created to inspire girls to consider a career in STEM. It allows girls to explore personality types and matches them with relatable role models who have rewarding and successful STEM careers; ultimately, opening eyes and minds to endless possibilities in the field.
WISE analysis has highlighted that there only 24% of women in core STEM roles across the UK; and there is wide recognition that women are underrepresented globally in STEM fields. “We all need to see who we can become. If you are a child dreaming of being a scientist, seeing women like Professor Dame Gilbert already doing it, being successful and making a difference, is really important; and helps others aspire to follow in their footsteps; and fulfil their own dreams,” stated Kay Hussain, CEO of the UK’s Wise Campaign.
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