Lego has earned high praise from educators and scientists for teaching children fundamental concepts of engineering. The company, however, has also been criticized for having few female figures and for stereotyping with the figures they do have. Science and engineering have also been criticized for not encouraging women and girls to take up the professions and for maintaining a glass ceiling.

The Lego “Research Institute” which features three female figurines all working in scientific settings would seem to be a victory for women, albeit a small and symbolic one.

The set will feature an astronomer with a telescope and star chart, a paleontologist with a magnifying glass and tyrannosaur type skeleton and a chemist with a workbench and beakers.

A variety of things conspire to prevent women from seeking careers in science. The unequal treatment of women in scientific fields is not the least of these.

“By almost any metric, women have made great gains in closing the scientific gender gap, but female scientists around the world continue to face major challenges. According to the US National Science Foundation, women earn about half the doctorates in science and engineering in the United States but comprise only 21% of full science professors and 5% of full engineering professors. And on average, they earn just 82% of what male scientists make in the United States — even less in Europe,” said Helen Shen in a March, 2013 report published in the journal Nature. 

Many countries, including the US and UK are actively trying to encourage women to pursue an education and career in science and engineering. One of the best ways to do this, is by encouraging scientific learning at an early age.

“Math and physics concepts are built into every Lego project. Kids can build whatever’s in their imagination and, at the same time, develop spatial reasoning and learn about structural integrity, design, and a practical sense of geometry,” said MIT graduate researcher Tiffany Tseng in 2012.

Lego, however, has been accused of gearing its product toward boys and of stereotyping girls and women. Even with the announced release of the scientist set, the Helen Czerski at the Guardian was critical of the company.

“When I was a kid, Lego had nothing to do with gender and everyone played with the same bricks. Times have changed. In 2012, the manufacturer came up with what it called “Lego friends”, aimed specifically at girls. The sets play up to almost every female stereotype, with lots of pink, handbags aplenty and oodles of lipstick for its denizens. What made it even more depressing was that the company claimed it was the result of extensive research into what would tempt young girls to play with Lego. Their answer was fundamentally defeatist, because it was “turn Lego into something else”,” said Czerski.

The “Research Institute” did not come, directly, from Lego. Dr Ellen Kooijman dreamed up the collection, entered it in the Lego ideas competition and won after receiving more than 10,000 votes.

It will take a generation to know whether or not the toy encourages girls to go into science and engineering professions but, whatever the long term impact the set is likely to be a hot seller this holiday season.