Lottie Dolls aim to fill a gap in the toy market with their ambition to disrupt gender stereotypes. This project is being organised by YMB chair Jo Douglas, who said that after she had seen the STEM-inspired Lottie Dolls and Great Women and Girls profiles on the Lottie website she was keen for WES to partner with them. She feels that the range of Lottie dolls in industry is important and hopes the project will go some way towards normalising the presence of women in engineering environments for a younger audience.
Primary-age students are often neglected when outreach activities are planned, and WES believes this should change, as this is a great time to get girls excited about science and engineering.
Yasmin Ali, WES YMB member with Lottie.
During Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (7 - 11 November), members of WES, the YMB and the WES Council will post photos on Twitter and Instagram of Robot Girl Lottie doing everyday engineering work. Companies involved include Instron, Airbus, Scottish Power and The Smallpeice Trust. As well as photos of Lottie on site with the companies, you’ll see photos of her on a panel about diversity at a conference, at science festival SMASHfestUK, promoting STEM at events.
WES President Benita Mehra said it is a great initiative by the Young Members Board and she is delighted with the support from Lottie Dolls. She knows that children and especially little girls identify with dolls and she believes that seeing the Lottie Dolls in action in engineering will fire the imagination and be an inspiration to young girls.
Follow Lottie’s antics with the YMB and the WES Council between 7 – 11 November on Twitter at #LottieTour, @YMB1919, @WES1919 and @Lottie_dolls.
