Barbie Dolls Celebrate Women in STEM
The big hair craze and flashy clothing are two features of the most iconic Barbie dolls of the past. In 2015, Barbie started highlighting female ‘Sheroes’ like Ava DuBernay and Eva Chen, who inspire girls to break boundaries and expand possibilities.
Barbie continued to shine a light on empowering role models from the past and present by starting a campaign, #MoreRoleModels in 2018. During this year, Barbie celebrated International Women's Day by featuring a doll line of historical and modern-day role models from around the world.
On March 7, 2023, Mattel, Inc. launched a new Barbie line recognizing women globally who are STEM leaders with a doll made in their likeness. Mattel believes that presenting female role models in STEM helps to promote and sustain interest in the field for young girls. In addition, Barbie created a digital series for kids featuring conversations with female role models entitled You Can Be Anything.
With less than one-third of women in the STEM workforce, Barbie continues its commitment to recognizing female role models. They highlight careers that are commonly underrepresented by women while honoring the role model’s background and nationality. Through this, girls can see all the limitless possibilities, helping close the Dream Gap.
Women In STEM: Barbie Edition
Susan Wojcicki
Photo source: CNBC
Susan Wojcicki was YouTube's CEO from 2014 until February 2023 and currently serves in an advisory role across Google and its parent company Alphabet. In 2022, Susan ranked 32nd among America's richest self-made women and 23rd on the Forbes list of the most powerful women. Before reaching success, Susan worked in the marketing department at Intel and as a Management Consultant at Bain & Company but this wasn’t her first job, at the age of 11 Susan sold spice ropes door to door.
Growing up Susan did not imagine that she would have a career in tech. She and her sisters were lucky enough to find fulfilling careers in STEM that they truly enjoy. Susan was able to work at Google for 25 years and nine years as a YouTube CEO, and her sisters are pioneering in other fields as well.
Anne Wojcicki
Photo source: Forbes
Anne Wojcicki is the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, a DNA testing firm based in California. Like her older sister, Susan Wojcicki, Anne also ranked as one of America's richest self-made women and most powerful women under the Forbes list. In addition, Anne was also a competitive ice skater.
Anne considered her sisters her biggest role models. Their parents encouraged independence and the belief that they could be anyone they want to be throughout their lives. Anne hopes that their stories inspire young girls to also pursue their dreams and see challenges as opportunities.
Dr. Janet Wojcicki, Ph.D., MPH
Photo source: University of California San Francisco
Janet Wojcicki, sister to Anne and Susan Wojcicki, is a Professor of Pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco. Janet has a keen interest in early life risk factors of obesity in high-risk populations. She specifically focuses on early-life feeding decisions and maternal exposures in pregnancy. In addition, she has expertise in evaluating nutritional factors and HIV and HHV-8 infection and progression, particularly in the sub-Saharan African population.
Janet understands the importance of being a role model for the kids to show them their limitless possibilities. Growing up, Janet struggled to find inspiring stories of women in epidemiology. With Barbie’s initiative, she felt honored to represent the field.
Katya Echazarreta
Photo source: Latinovations
Katya Echazarreta is an Electrical Engineer and Science Show Host whose roots started in Mexico. Katya’s mother instilled a strong work ethic from childhood, encouraging her to pursue her passion. Growing up, Katya developed a fascination for Space, Math, Astronomy, and Physics.
Despite various setbacks during college, she was able to get a full-time engineering position and worked on five NASA missions. In 2022, Katya became the first Mexican-born Woman in Space for a mission to analyze the “Overview Effect.”
Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, PH.D.
Photo source: The Guardian
Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space Scientist and Science communicator at BBC’s The Sky At Night. She also serves as the Managing Director of Science Innovation Ltd, where she organizes fun events to introduce adults and schoolchildren to the wonders of space. As a child, tours in science museums sparked her interest in space and she thought that museums are a place where clever people and scientists go. Being accepted into an undergraduate degree program in Physics at Imperial College London was a dream come true for her.
Although her life’ journey has taken turns in different directions, Maggie always found solace in learning and has gathered all the tools she needed along the way of that journey. Now, Maggie believes that there is no particular wrong path as long as you keep the end goal in mind.
Dr. Antje Boetius, pH.D.
Photo source: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Dr. Antje Boetius is an internationally recognized Marine Researcher and Microbiologist. Antje is also the Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute of Marine and Polar Research, a German national research center that conducts research in the Arctic, the Antarctic, and the high and mid-latitude oceans. One of her most recent projects is the one-year-long MOSAiC expedition, which seeks to understand the Arctic climate system and its representation in global climate models.
Since completing her Ph.D. at the University of Bremen, Antje has already participated in more than 45 expeditions and received multiple awards for her exceptional contributions to the field of STEM. In December 2022, she was awarded the Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker-Prize, which recognizes researchers who have made significant scientific contributions to tackling today's societal challenges.
Dr. Yinuo Li, PH.D
Photo source: ETU Education
Yinuo Li is the Co-Founder of the ETU School, an educational program promoting changes in the education ecosystem by combining personalized education and philosophy. Yinuo has a B.S. in Biology from Tsinghua University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UCLA.
In 2015, she joined Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help address domestic and global health, development, and policy issues. Then in 2016, Yinuo was named the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader. Yinuo is also a respected speaker, providing lectures about industry perspectives, strategy, organizational development, talent recruitment and development, and women's leadership.