For Vogue Scandinavia's June-July issue, we sit down with the Algerian-Iranian Swedes who are championing representation in the toy industry
It’s not every day that you think a doll could change the world, but these dolls just might. Founded during lockdown by Fatma and Hamid Guettou-Noroozian, an Algerian-Iranian couple raising their family in Sweden, Watoto, which means “children” in Swahili, seeks to dismantle prejudice at childhood, before it can take root.
The very first Watoto doll was sewn by Fatma from a wish to give her children a doll to play with that looked just like them. The sort of doll that was made without plastic. The sort of doll she couldn’t find in any of the toy stores in Sweden. “I made the first one and it just felt right in our hearts, so I made more,” she says. “After a while my husband said, ‘You should put these on Instagram’. I didn’t know anything about social media then.” Before long, requests came pouring in. Friends and friends-of-friends saw what she had made and wanted the same for their children; a playmate that they could see themselves in.
“Parents reached out and wanted a doll that represented their child,” says Fatma. “A child that maybe had a disability, a missing limb, a birthmark, a scar.” Now, Fatma, Hamid and their team are determined to create a shift in the toy industry and beyond by being uncompromising in their values of diversity and inclusivity, human rights and sustainability.
Producing locally from materials such as extra wool that farms deem waste, Watoto’s ethical approach also extends to the women it hires to sew the dolls. Working both at home and at the brand’s workshop in Solna, many of these employees were previously unable to take on jobs because they couldn’t travel or leave their families. “We’re making a doll that’s good on the outside and on the inside,” says Fatma. “We started with our own problem, but it turned out that there was more that we could help with.”
We’re making a doll that’s good on the outside and on the inside
Fatma Guettou-Noroozian
Today, Watoto dolls are sold via independent retailers and the brand’s own website, where you’ll find its bestselling ‘Shiva’ doll, a brown girl with black hair gathered in a top knot. Every doll wears a vibrant look; an aesthetic born of the very first Watoto doll, whose outfit was stitched from an African wax print Fatma found at a market in Nairobi. Today, their fabrics, still rich in colour, are entirely organic and certified for children’s play. Some of the dolls wear hijabs and all have a pouch for a baby doll. “You can choose a baby doll with a different skin colour to your big doll,” Fatma says. “We want to include families of every constellation.”
“Every child has a right to see themselves represented,” Fatma continues. “To have a doll they look at and see themselves looking back. That can be the main character in their play, that gives them sanctuary and self-confidence. That’s what we want. But more than that, we want them to see society in its completeness.” The right doll at the right time has the chance to create a world of more kindness and understanding. As Fatma puts it, “They’re the perfect messengers for a story”. Speaking of storytelling, Watoto recently partnered with a publisher storybooking the United Nation’s 17 development goals for children. Watoto will create a doll to reflect each of the book’s main characters.
The love a child has for their doll is singular; a bond that teaches them to take care of something when they’re little. It’s in part how children learn to relate, creating the foundation of how we treat one another in adulthood. “Children are so open-minded. They see everything as natural. That’s when you have the chance to show them what fairness looks like,” says Fatma. “Every person is different, and we have the chance to show children that’s something to love.”