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The LEGO Group has launched a new campaign, She Built That to inspire society and girls to see themselves as inspiring builders, creators and innovators. A new rendition of Run DMC It's Like That hit brings together stars from Gen Z and Gen Alpha, showing how girls are shaping the world around them.
The LEGO Group adorned famous London landmarks with Brick Plaques celebrating the women that created them.
The She Built That campaign comes as stats show parents are five times more likely to associate the term 'building' with 'masculinity' (59%) over 'femininity' (10%).
Paying homage to the unsung builders of the world, the plaques appear at multiple iconic sites:
London landmark
Unsung builder(s)
Waterloo Bridge
Also known as 'The Ladies Bridge' - built by an estimated workforce of 65% women
London Aquatics Centre
Co-designed by Zaha Hadid
The London Eye
Co-designed by Julia Barfield
The Supreme Court
The refurbishment was co-designed by Elsie Owusu
Beyond the iconic female-built structures that were commemorated, other notable buildings in the UK include The Shard, of which Roma Agrawal was the Structural Engineer, The Lyric Theatre in Belfast, of which Sheila O'Donnell was an instrumental architect, and The Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) in Machynlleth, Wales, of which Linda Stevens was the Project Architect.
Roma Agrawal, Structural Engineer of Crystal Palace Station and diversity campaigner for women in engineering, said: 'We might not realise it, but young girls are building all the time, even when we think they're not! Whether it's through the development of physical motor skills or creating new games in their head – all these moments aid in growing their building capabilities. As a society, it's crucial that we work together to ensure that girls continue developing this skillset into their adult lives.
'LEGO play was an integral part of my childhood and provided a great foundation for the learning that led to my career. That's why I'm delighted that the LEGO Group is shining the light on the girls that kept building into their womanhood.'
Kuran Sharma, Head of Marketing for the UK & Ireland at the LEGO Group, said: 'Our mission to change stereotypes around building starts with showing everyone how women are already shaping the world around them in incredible ways. We hope girls and women will see our Brick Plaques and listen to our new anthem, and be empowered to 'build' in whatever way feels good to them.'
Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons and Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels said: 'Run DMC has always stood for breaking barriers and inspiring change. We're excited to see our classic anthem reimagined as 'She Built That', celebrating the creativity and innovation of girls everywhere. Just as we pushed the limits of hip-hop, we want to inspire a world where every girl recognizes her building power.'
The LEGO Group is hosting an immersive pop-up at London's Southbank Centre this aummer. Young girls will be able to take part in a She Built That two-day event, filled with dancing, music, and building. Special brick plaques and prizes will also be awarded to young builders at the event to recognise the next generation of female builders.
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