A Barbie doll honoring Sarah Gilbert, a British professor who is one of the co-creators of the coronavirus vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca. She is part of Mattel’s new Barbie series devoted to inspirational women participating in the fight in the coronavirus pandemic.
The doll looks like Gilbert including her long auburn hair, her dark-framed glasses, and the professional navy suit wardrobe she wears. The development of this doll left Gilbert feeling “very strange,” according to the Washington Post.
Gilbert hopes the doll that is dedicated to her would reveal careers children may not have known about, such as a vaccinologist.
She added how she desired for future generations to be knowledgeable that they could also work in the career fields of STEM — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Moreover, the “senior vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls at Mattel” stated that “Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened. Furthermore, the company wanted to illuminate frontline workers’ efforts by creating this to inspire the upcoming generation to follow behind these heroes.
Mattel Acknowledges Other Frontline Workers
Mattel honors other women’s contributions to the coronavirus-fighting Barbie doll series:
- Amy O’Sullivan was on the cover of Time magazine, featuring 100 Most Influential People in 2020. She is a nurse who worked primarily in Brooklyn amidst the pandemic.
- Audrey Cruz, a doctor from Las Vegas, was honored with a doll reflecting her bright blue scrubs and silver hair tied to the back.
- Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a Canadian writer and doctor who is working toward eradicating racism in healthcare.
- Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, a biomedical researcher of Brazil.
- Kirby White, a doctor from Australia who partook in creating “reusable protective gear” for professionals treating COVID-19 patients.
Mattel created this Barbie series devoted to inspirational women in the fight against the pandemic; hopefully, this will encourage others to see the battle still goes on with dedicated individuals helping.
Written by Ke’Lena Thomas
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
The Washington Post: Barbie maker Mattel launches new line of coronavirus-fighting dolls featuring British vaccine developer Sarah Gilbert; by Jennifer Hassan
Top and Featured Image by Pathumporn Thongking Courtesy of UN Women Asia and the Pacific’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Mike Mozart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
