Scots school pupil, 12, named on Time magazine's first-ever Girls of the Year list
GIRL POWER Scots school pupil, 12, named on Time magazine's first-ever Girls of the Year list
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A SCOTS school pupil has been named on the first-ever Girls of the Year list by Time magazine.
Rebecca Young, 12, features on the prestigious list alongside nine other girls from around the world, who are all recognised as being young leaders inspiring communities.
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Rebecca (bottom right) featured on the limited-edition Time cover as a Lego character
Credit: PA
The youngster, from Glasgow, has been hailed as an innovator after she designed a solar-powered backpack with an electric blanket inside to help homeless people.
Rebecca was just 11 when she came up with the idea after becoming concerned about people sleeping on the streets during a freezing Scottish winter.
And her design ended up winning an engineering award in a UK-wide competition with 70,000 participants.
The Kelvinside Academy pupil and eight of the other girls are featured as part of a limited-edition animated Time cover.
The girls have been reimagined as Lego characters, each aimed at capturing the spirit of their achievements.
Rebecca described it as "cool and very unexpected" to be among those named.
She added: "I'm honoured by the fact they wanted to include me on their Girls of the Year list and hope other kids see it and decide to do their part in helping people."
Rebecca thought of making the solar-powered backpack after she was asked during a club at school to come up with an idea focused on helping people.
But it wasn't just an idea, she researched different types of solar panels, wiring, and batteries, and drew up a detailed blueprint.
After winning her engineering award, 30 blankets were manufactured by firm Thales.
Tragic homeless crisis gripping UK city as rough sleepers fend off addicts
The bags were then distributed to a homeless shelter in Glasgow earlier this year.
There are plans to make 120 more, which has left mum Louise "very proud".
Rebecca added: "It helped me see a different aspect of engineering, and how it could actually help people.
"That definitely helped inspire me."
Girls of the Year 2025
The 2025 Time Girls of the Year list features 10 honourees, including: Author Rutendo Shadaya, 17, of New Zealand Athlete Coco Yoshizawa, 15, of Japan Innovator Valerie Chiu, 15, of China Artist Zoé Clauzure, 15, of France Innovator Clara Proksch, 12, of Germany Athlete Ivanna Richards, 17, of Mexico Innovator Kornelia Wieczorek, 17, of Poland Adventurer Defne Özcan, 17, of Turkey Innovator Rebecca Young, 12, of United Kingdom Advocate Naomi S. DeBerry, 12, of the United States.
Time magazine's collaboration with Lego followed a recent study by the Lego group of more than 32,000 parents and children across 21 countries.
And it found 70 per cent of young women struggle to see themselves as someone who is good at building things.
It also found that children were twice as likely to credit major inventions to men - with most believing that wifi (69 per cent) and the Moon landing software (68 per cent) were invented by men, even though they were pioneered by women.
Time chief executive Jessica Sibley said the list features girls aged between 12 and 17 who are "shaping their communities with courage and purpose".
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Rebecca described it as "cool and very unexpected" to be among those named
Credit: PA
Julia Goldin, LEGO Group Chief Product & Marketing Officer, said: "When girls don't see it, they don't believe it - the world risks missing out on the next big breakthrough.
"There's no stopping what girls can build.
"Time's Girls of the Year is a step in giving the next generation the role models they deserve, recognising young women globally who are not just imagining a better world but actively creating it.
"Together with Time we hope these stories will inspire a future generation of unstoppable female builders to dream big and continue making their mark on the world."
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