Barbie Unveils New Role Models Including Chloe Kim, Amelia Earhart
Barbie has 17 new dolls modeled after a diverse group of women who made huge strides in sports, science, art and society.
The famous doll brand, owned by Mattel, announced its new “Inspiring Women” series members in time for International Women’s Day on March 8. They include Mexican artist Frida Kahlo; groundbreaking aviator Amelia Earhart; and mathematician Katherine Johnson, who worked at NASA to help send the first Americans into space.
Those three are the only Inspiring Women honorees so far. But Barbie has also added 14 more members to its “Shero” series, which started a few years ago. The additions from around the world include Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, who won a gold medal for the United States on the women’s halfpipe in Pyeongchang; Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins; and the Australian wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin, daughter of the “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.
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The Shero honorees come from various cultural and racial backgrounds and jobs. Among the other 2018 members are a Polish journalist, an Italian soccer player, a Chinese ballerina, a French chef and a Turkish windsurfer.
“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 role models to remind them that they can be anything,” Barbie Senior Vice President and General Manager Lisa McKnight said in a statement.
According to the company, Barbie designed the new dolls after taking an international survey of thousands of moms with daughters who expressed worry about the kinds of role models their kids were exposed to.
The dolls are still in the pre-order phase.
The new releases come at a busy time for Barbie. The brand recently announced it was turning the three women stars of A Wrinkle in Time into collectible dolls. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling play Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who in the movie adaptation of the children’s book coming out March 9.
