Maria Silva Barbie dolls have been introducing girls to beauty and fashion trends for the past 58 years, but the company recently decided to change things up. Barbie polled 8,000 mothers to better understand what today’s society requires. Because 86% of them are concerned about the role models their daughters are exposed to, the company created 17 dolls of real and famous women.
“With Barbie, girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers, and we are thrilled to shine a light on real-life female historical figures and famous athletes to remind them that they can be anything,” said Lisa McKnight, Barbie’s senior vice president and general manager, in a news release.
Each “Inspiring Women” doll comes with information about how each of the female heroes influenced society. The cast includes both historical and contemporary figures. Among them are Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and Frida Kahlo, the famous artist and activist. Although the series has only three dolls so far, a Mattel spokeswoman said that the lineup will grow as new ones are released.
Barbie also expanded its Shero program, which debuted in 2015. The initiative has already honored such history-making women like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Misty Copeland, Ava DuVernay, Eva Chen, and Ashley Graham. It is now honoring even more modern-day female heroes, including Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim and world-renowned chef Hélène Darroze.
More info: mattel.com
