To celebrate International Women’s Month, the famous brand Barbie honored seven key women in STEM. Know more about them and their contributions in their fields.

With worldwide sales of around US$1.5 billion (around PHP 82.34 billion) in 2022, and a brand value of US$590 million (around PHP 32.39 billion), Barbie is undeniably an iconic brand—not just in America, but everywhere around the world. In fact, since her debut on March 9, 1959, the 29cm blonde doll continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological, and psychological interest.

But how does she stay relevant after 64 years, in a time when she served both as an inspirational role model and a scapegoat for creating unrealistic expectations of women? It all started with changing the narrative.

“Imagining she can be anything is just the beginning. Actually seeing that she can make all the difference,” Mattel, the iconic toy manufacturer, wrote. With that, the manufacturer wanted to position Barbie as not just a woman of beauty, but also one with substance, too.

And this gave rise to the brand’s limited edition “Shero” collection.

Shero Collection by Barbie

The Shero collection is the Barbie brand’s way of honoring women who are making waves in their industry—with one-of-a-kind dolls that are made in a real woman’s likeness. Through this collection, the brand hopes to inspire young women to strive to become the best in their field.  

“Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real-life role models to remind them that they can be anything,” Senior Vice President and General Manager of Barbie, Lisa McKnight, stated via CNN.

In celebration of International Women’s Month this 2023, Barbie honors these seven women pioneers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All of them received their own Barbie dolls, which are based on their appearance—sporting outfits that best represent their contributions in their respective fields. 

The Wojcicki Sisters 

Excellence runs in these sisters’ blood, as all of them are she-bosses in their own right. Susan Wojcicki is the longtime CEO of Youtube and although she announced back in February that she was stepping back from the leadership role, her contributions have undeniably been significant in making Youtube into what it is today. 

On the other hand, Janet is a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of California. She has been working to identify pregnancy exposures and early life risks that may lead to a child’s obesity. 

And finally, the youngest, Anne is the CEO of the at-home DNA testing company 23andME. Through this company, she aims to make genetic testing more accessible, as it can now be done personally and at the convenience of the patient’s home. That way, they can now find out their ancestry, diseases that can be genetically inherited, and many more. 

“Our parents fostered independence and a belief that we could truly be anything we wanted to be when I grew up, but most important was to pursue a passion. I hope that sharing our stories encourages young girls to try something new, face something that may scare them, and look at challenges as exciting opportunities,” Anne Wojcicki shared via CNN.  

Other 2023 Women Pioneers in STEM

Aside from the Wojcicki sisters, the Barbie brand also honors the following trailblazers:

• Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a UK space scientist and educator
• Antje Boetius, a German marine researcher and microbiologist
• Li Yinuo, co-founder of ETU education which personalizes education in China
• Katya Echazarreta, a Mexican NASA electrical engineer, and the first Mexico-born to space travel

According to Mattel, the Shero collection is not for sale. The one-of-a-kind dolls are gifts to inspiring women of the year.

With that being said, kudos to the Barbie brand for advocating for women in a male-dominated industry. Hopefully, more brands would follow suit, as women have come a long way. They can be anything they want and they can go as far as they want, whether it be a proud stay-at-home mom, a girl boss in their field, or a multi-hyphenated woman—out conquering the universe.