Barbie doll gets a makeover 

| Read time: 3 minute(s)

Barbie is everyone’s favourite doll. Her svelte figure, high-heel shoes, fancy dresses, matching accessories and glowing hair… the image is of a stunner. But so unreal. Isn’t it! Not anymore. Now imagine a Barbie with high boots, grey hair, lab coat and hard hat. Yes, that’s real women. And thanks to one such superwoman who has lent support to make Barbies real for us and our children. Nalini Nadkarni is a forest ecologist at the University of Utah who’s dedicated her career to studying rain forest canopies. But she also loves Barbie dolls. However, like any other sensible person she too realised that these plastic dolls were so unreal. Hence she kept on making barbie dolls inspired by hard working women around her. And now, the original makers of Barbie, Mattel and National Geographic Society have made a doll inspired by Nadkarni. This line of National Geographic Barbie dolls would include dolls centered around exploration, science, conservation and research highlighting occupations in which women are underrepresented. So now your Barbies could be doctors, scientists, physicists, marines or biologists. And yes, they still would be a stunner! Do you know Inventor Jack Ryan designed Barbie in the 1950s while he was working at Mattel. He's also responsible for the mechanics of those Hot Wheels cars you shot up and down the driveway, as well as the Chatty Cathy doll that begged, "Please take me with you." Nalini Nadkarni with Barbie

Barbie is everyone’s favourite doll. Her svelte figure, high-heel shoes, fancy dresses, matching accessories and glowing hair… the image is of a stunner. But so unreal. Isn’t it! 

Not anymore. Now imagine a Barbie with high boots, grey hair, lab coat and hard hat. Yes, that’s real women. And thanks to one such superwoman who has lent support to make Barbies real for us and our children. 

Nalini Nadkarni is a forest ecologist at the University of Utah who’s dedicated her career to studying rain forest canopies. But she also loves Barbie dolls. However, like any other sensible person she too realised that these plastic dolls were so unreal. Hence she kept on making barbie dolls inspired by hard working women around her. 

And now, the original makers of Barbie, Mattel and National Geographic Society have made a doll inspired by Nadkarni. This line of National Geographic Barbie dolls would include dolls centered around exploration, science, conservation and research highlighting occupations in which women are underrepresented.

So now your Barbies could be doctors, scientists, physicists, marines or biologists. And yes, they still would be a stunner!

Nalini Nadkarni with Barbie


Do you know 

Inventor Jack Ryan designed Barbie in the 1950s while he was working at Mattel. He's also responsible for the mechanics of those Hot Wheels cars you shot up and down the driveway, as well as the Chatty Cathy doll that begged, "Please take me with you."


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