Barbie has worn many hats since the doll was introduced in 1959, but now she’s taking on a new industry with the help of some tech-savvy role models – including YouTube‘s former CEO Susan Wojcicki.
On International Women’s Day March 8 (just one day before National Barbie Day) Barbie’s parent company, Mattel, released a collection of dolls inspired by women who are leaving their mark on the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The collection is comprised of seven, one-of-a-kind dolls that will be gifted to the women who inspired them, however, they won’t be available for purchase.
Included in the collection is Wojcicki, who “stepped back” as YouTube’s CEO in February. Before her days at YouTube, she was Google’s 16th employee where she worked for nearly 25 years.
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However, she isn’t the only Wojcicki to make the cut. Sisters Anne Wojcicki, the co-founder and CEO of 23andME, and Janet Wojcicki, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, were also honored with their own Barbie dolls.
“My sisters and I found jobs we love and discovered how creative and fulfilling careers in STEM can be for women,” the former YouTube CEO said in a press release. “Growing up, I didn’t imagine that I would have a career in tech,” she noted, adding that she hopes the campaign will “remind girls around the world that they can do anything.”
Other women featured include Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican woman to travel to space, per CNN, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a United Kingdom-based space scientist, Antje Boetius, a German marine researcher, and Yinuo Li, the co-founder of Chinese school startup, ETU Education.
Image credit: Courtesy of Mattel
While Barbie is known for taking on all sorts of job titles from astronaut to doctor, women only make up one-third of the STEM workforce, according to the United States Census. Furthermore, data from the advocacy group American Association of University Women found that women are “systematically tracked away” from STEM during their school years due to stereotypes and cultural norms.
“STEM is a field where women are severely underrepresented,” said Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie & dolls at Mattel, in a press release. “Our hope is that honoring these seven leaders in science and technology will encourage girls to follow their passion in this field.”
