Barbie dolls have been introducing girls to beauty and fashion trends for 58 years, but recently the company decided to switch things up. To better understand what the current society needs, Barbie surveyed 8,000 mothers. It found out that 86% of them are worried about what kind of role models their daughters are exposed to, so the company created 17 dolls of real and famous women.
"Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie, 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," senior vice president and general manager of Barbie, Lisa McKnight, said in a news release.
Each "Inspiring Women" doll comes with educational information about the way each of the female heroes shaped society. The lineup consists of both historical and modern-day figures. Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and Frida Kahlo, the famous artist, and activist, is among them. Although the series has only three dolls so far, the lineup is set to grow with the release of new ones, a spokeswoman for Mattel said.
Barbie also made new additions to its Shero program, which began in 2015. The initiative has already honored such history-making women like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Misty Copeland, Ava DuVernay, Eva Chen, and Ashley Graham. Now, it's celebrating even more modern-day female heroes: gold-winning Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, world-renowned chef Hélène Darroze, and others.
More info: mattel.com
Barbie surveyed 8,000 mothers and found out that 86% of them are worried about what kind of role models their daughters are exposed to
In response, the company has released a series of empowering women dolls from both the past and present
Frida Kahlo, Artist
Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer
Martyna Wojciechowska, Journalist
Hélène Darroze, World-Renowned Chef
Ashley Graham, Model And Body Activist
Patty Jenkins, Filmmaker
Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician And Physicist
Yuan Yuan Tan, Prima Ballerina
Sara Gama, Soccer Player
Leyla Piedayesh, Designer and Entrepreneur
Ibtihaj Muhammad, Fencing Champion
Bindi Irwin, Conservationist
Xiaotong Guan, Actress And Philanthropist
Chloe Kim, Snowboarding Champion
Gabby Douglas, Gymnastics Champion
Ava Duvernay, Film Director
Hui Ruoqi, Volleyball Champion
Nicola Adams Obe, Boxing Champion
Some people applauded the new dolls
While others thought they shouldn't exist in the first place
