It was International Women’s Day yesterday and Mattel celebrated with influential women and the iconic Barbie brand.
Seven women from the real world are getting Barbie dolls designed after them, adding to the existing Barbie Role Models collection. The full lineup of new dolls includes Susan Wojcicki (Longtime YouTube CEO), Anne Wojcicki (Co-Founder and CEO of 23andME), Janet Wojcicki (Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco), Katya Echazarreta (Electrical Engineer and Science Show Host), Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Space Scientist and Science Educator), Dr. Antje Boetius (Marine Researcher and Microbiologist), and Yinuo Li (Co-Founder of ETU Education). These women all have something in common: They’re leaders in STEM inspiring the next generation!
Three of the featured women are sisters from the U.S. — Susan, Anne, and Janet Wojcicki. Susan and Barbie teamed up to create YouTube-produced content in which Susan answers questions about empowerment and the lessons she’s learned in her experiences with the tech industry. Barbie is also paying tribute to the event with a special episode of the “Barbie You Can Be Anything” series on YouTube featuring Anne as a guest.
Mattel has expressed its intention to use these and previous Role Models dolls to highlight women in careers that they’ve been historically underrepresented in. Previously released dolls include Shonda Rhimes (founder of Shondaland), Kelly Sildaru (Freestyle Skier), Adriana Azuara (Founder of All4Spas), and more. The dolls represent people from all over the globe and hope to inspire kids everywhere. Barbie in general has tackled many different careers over the years, showing young girls they can dream big and be anything they’d like, including astronauts, scientists, and artists.
Little kids with big dreams can keep their eyes on the Barbie Role Models page to grab their favorite new doll as soon as it releases. Get a great gift to celebrate the past International Women’s Day, and in the meantime, there are plenty of Barbie dolls with cool careers to browse!
