Pioneering ethologist and environmental activist Jane Goodall now has a Barbie doll modelled after her. Dressed in field attire and equipped with a pair of binoculars and notebook, the Barbie launched as part of the "Inspiring Women" series is accompanied by Goodall’s most well-known research subject, David Graybeard, a grey-chinned chimpanzee who she first began interacting with after she went to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960. Credited with noticing human-like behaviours amongst chimpanzees, Goodall is also the UN Messenger of Peace and honorary member of the World Future Council. Who is Jane Goodall? An English primatologist and anthropologist, Goodall is considered one of the world's foremost experts on chimpanzees. Drawn to animals since childhood, in the 1960, without any academic training in the area, Goodall travelled to explore the forests of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to observe chimpanzees in the wild. She named them instead of following the norm of numbering them, and made numerous observations that questioned prevalent beliefs about the apes, asserting that chimpanzees too were capable of social interactions. In Public Service Broadcasting's 1996 nature programme Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees, she noted it wasn't only humans who have personalities and are capable of rational thought and emotions like joy and sorrow. In 1962, without a bachelor's degree, she was allowed to enroll at the University of Cambridge to pursue a PhD in ethology. She completed her thesis in 1966 on the subject Behaviour of free-living chimpanzees, that included observations made during her initial study at the Gombe Reserve. The discoveries drastically changed the way the animals were studied and revealed close evolutionary relationship between chimpanzees and humans. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global wildlife and environment conservation organisation that supports wildlife research and education, and protects chimpanzees and other primates by supporting sanctuaries and law enforcement efforts. Jane Goodall's response to a Barbie modelled on her A recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards, Goodall hopes that her doll will encourage young girls to get involved in conservation and environmental projects. In a statement, she said, "Girls don't want just to be film stars and things like that; but many of them, like me, want to be out in nature studying animals. And so a Barbie doll who's Jane is a super idea." She notes how once you get out into nature, you are fascinated and want to learn about it and protect it. Launched just ahead of World Chimpanzee Day on July 14, the Goodall doll is made from 75 per cent recycled ocean-bound plastic, in keeping with the ethologist's focus on protecting the environment. In partnership with @JaneGoodallInst, #Barbie introduces Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace as the newest in our Inspiring Women series & the first doll in the series made from recycled ocean-bound plastic➡️ pic.twitter.com/D908hZnpkK — Barbie (@Barbie) July 12, 2022 What is Barbie's 'Inspiring Women' series? Launched in 2018, the Barbie "Inspiring Women" series features dolls based on real-life figures. It was introduced by Mattel, the creator of Barbie, after a survey conducted with 8,000 mothers around the globe found that 86 per cent of them were worried about the kind of role models their daughters are exposed to. "Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real life role models to remind them that they can be anything," wrote Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and general manager of Barbie, in a news release shared then. The "Inspiring Women" dolls come with educational information about the contributions made by each of these women to society. Over the years, the series has seen dolls modelled on American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, mathematician Katherine Johnson, and author Maya Angelou.
