WUNRN
http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10223
A large collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls.
Mighty Dolls: Empowering Dolls Based on
Real-Life Female Role Models
British Primatologist, UN Messenger of Peace
October 13. 2015 - Artist
Wendy Tsao decided to give Bratz dolls a radical change: by making them over as
inspiring women of the past and present! When Tsao saw Sonja Singh’s Tree Change Dolls, a project that transforms
Bratz dolls into ordinary girls by removing their exaggerated makeup and
redressing them in clothing suitable for rough-and-tumble outdoor play, she
says, "It made me wonder about the role of dolls in a child's life -- can
they be more than just trendy, sexy, disposable toys? Can we inspire girls
more?" So she created an art project dedicated to celebrating amazing
women Malala Yousafzai, Jane Goodall, Waris Dirie, Roberta Bondar, and J.K.
Rowling -- by making over dolls to look like these role models as children.
Tsao observed that “[t]he
dolls we find in toy stores today are often licensed Disney characters or the
heroines of Hollywood blockbuster movies that capitalize on the pull of
fantasy, fictional characters to young consumers. But there are real-life
people who are heroes too, with inspiring stories of courage, intelligence,
strength and uniqueness.” She wondered if she could use dolls to make these
women more relatable to younger girls. Writing to A Mighty Girl, Tsao commented,
"I really admire the women that I featured in my dolls, for what they did
or achieved and continue to do. And they should be role models instead of, or
at least, alongside the products of Disney and Hollywood. But then, I’m an
adult. Perhaps a child can’t appreciate these role models, because these women
are famous adults. Maybe we need to show children that these remarkable women
were once children too."
So Tsao’s repainted dolls
represent inspiring women as they might have looked as girls. “I would have
loved to play with Jane Goodall as a child," she told us. "I wonder
if a child who plays with a doll of someone who is a real person who did some
amazing things when they grow up might think more about real-life things and
appreciate more the real potential that lies within all of us, than when she or
he plays with say, a Disney character or Bratz doll. You know how we 'outgrow'
our toys... Can you outgrow Malala?"
Tsao has been thrilled by
the positive response to her dolls, and says "I think that it points to
the fact that many people feel strongly about these dolls and what they
represent." And, that fact that "toys can become a source of comfort,
pride and meaning for a child (and even adults)... As a parent, I’d love for my
child to play with a young J.K. Rowling or Malala and have conversations about
them."
Role Models as Dolls
Pakistani Activist,
Youngest Nobel Prize Laureate
We must tell girls their voices are important.