Lego is adding a number of new female characters to its minifig collection in a bid to encourage more girls to enter traditionally male-dominated career fields.
The new line will include female veterinarians, deep sea explorers, aerospace engineers, mechanics and pit crew members.
The toy company first started to make a real effort to include more female figures in its sets when it released a female lab scientist minifigure in 2013. The idea came from the Lego Ideas site, where people can nominate new product lines that will be considered for production if it receives more than 10,000 votes.
The addition of the female scientist to the line brought increased awareness of gender stereotyping in the children’s toy market, and the company was commended for portraying women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers.
Images via Scientific American