March 8th is international Womens day, and Mattel has found a way to make that profitable with a new line of dolls that celebrate great women in history. And I’m going to try and not be so cynical about it.
Mattel, maker of Barbie, conducted a survey of 8,000 mothers around the globe and found that 86% are worried about the kind of role models their daughters are exposed to.
This week Mattel introduced dolls in two separate series of Barbies: “Inspiring Women,” based on historical figures, and new additions to its “Shero” line of dolls named for inspirational contemporary women.
Both lines reflect the Barbie brand’s highest honor: a one-of-a-kind doll made in a real woman’s likeness.
The dolls are based on real women and include Patty Jenkins, director of Wonder Woman, artist Frida Kahlo, aviator Amelia Earhart, Olympic gold medal in snowboarding Chloe Kim, Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin, British boxing champion Nicola Adams, and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
Ahh! Im so happy to be honored as a @Barbie Shero alongside these incredible women! #InternationalWomensDay #Barbie pic.twitter.com/U0J7ajM0Sd
— Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) March 6, 2018