For the first time in its history, Time magazine has launched the “Girls of the Year” list, in partnership with Lego, honoring ten extraordinary girls between the ages of 12 and 17 who are shaping their communities and inspiring the world. The 2025 inaugural list echoes Time’s “Women of the Year” franchise and seeks to highlight the creativity, courage, and leadership of young girls worldwide.
The cover of Time’s special issue features the ten honorees reimagined as Lego minifigures, an initiative aligned with the toy group’s “She Built That” campaign, which encourages girls to see themselves as builders of ideas, solutions, and futures.
Among the honorees are Coco Yoshizawa, a 15-year-old Olympic gold medalist from Japan; Rutendo Shadaya, 17, a New Zealand advocate for young writers; Zoé Clauzure, 15, a French activist against bullying; Ivanna Richards, 17, a trailblazing motorsport driver from Mexico; and Naomi S. DeBerry, a 12-year-old American children’s author and organ donation activist. From science and sports to activism and engineering, these girls embody a new generation of leadership.
“This generation has realized that change doesn’t wait for adulthood,” said Dayana Sarkisova, senior editor at Time. “These girls are proving that transforming communities can inspire ripple effects on a global scale.”
The initiative also responds to global research conducted by Lego, which revealed that 70% of girls believe they are “not good at building” and that 72% of parents think their daughters lack visible female role models in innovation. By showcasing these ten changemakers, the project aims to dismantle stereotypes and expand the space for female creativity and leadership.
Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the Lego Group, emphasized the cultural significance of this collaboration: “When girls don’t see role models, they don’t believe they can be the next innovator. Nothing should stop them from building the world of tomorrow. The ‘Girls of the Year’ is a step forward in making sure the next generation has the inspiration it deserves.”
With Lego providing a playful reimagining and Time offering a powerful cultural platform, the partnership highlights that the young women of today are not just tomorrow’s builders — they are already, brick by brick, shaping the world.
