For many years the popular toy brand Mattel faced criticism for their Barbie dolls. Consumers and other brands alike claimed the dolls created unattainable body standards for young girls, and that they had no educational value. In recent years the brand has completely changed the dolls image and included dolls of different body types, more diverse dolls and branded Barbie as a doll who can do anything to encourage girls to take interest in different careers. This week the brand took another step in the right direction, when they announced that they are releasing a line of dolls for International Women’s Day on March 8th as part of their #MoreRoleModels campaign. The dolls will are based on real life; successful, talented and inspiring women.
I’ve compiled a list of the women who the dolls are inspired by along with a short description of why these women are wonderful role models:
Chloe Kim: You may recognize Chloe from the recent Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang. The seventeen year old won the gold medal in the women’s snowboard halfpipe, making her the youngest woman to win an Olympic gold in snowboarding.
Patty Jenkins: Patty is a film director and screen writer, who you probably know as the director on the 2017 film “Wonder Woman”. She is Emmy nominated, and most recently is working on her next film “Wonder Woman 2” set to be released in 2019.
Nicola Adams: Nicola is a British professional boxer. She is a two time Olympic gold medalist, she won the gold in the women’s flyweight division at both the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Olympic games. She was also the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title.
Frida Kahlo: Frida was a popular Mexican artist known for inspiring her country’s pop culture. She questioned gender, race, identity and class in Mexico through her artwork. Not only was she an artist, but she was also interested in politics.
Katherine Johnson: If the name sounds familiar it is because, the movie “Hidden Figures” had a character of the same name that was based off of her. She was an African American NASA research mathematician. She is known for her accuracy and contributions to the early application of digital electronic computer.
Amelia Earhart: Amelia was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, because of her accomplishment. In addition to this she wrote best-selling books about her experience flying.
Bindi Irwin: Bindi at only nineteen years old is an actress, singer, dancer and conservationist. She was the presenter of a documentary on Discovery Kids called “Bindi the Jungle Girl.” She has also been part of many other conservation efforts. In addition to this she won Dancing with the Stars in 2015.
Çağla Kubat: Çağla is multi-talented she is a champion windsurfer, a model, engineer and she represented Turkey at the Miss Universe Pageant in 2002. She starred in two Turkish television series, and is the 2012 World Slalom champion.
Hélène Darroze: Hélène is a French chef. She has two Michelin stars and three restaurants in London, Paris and Moscow. She was also admitted into the French Legion of Honor as knight.
Hui Ruoqui: Hui is a retired Chinese volleyball player. She was the captain of the China Women’s National Volleyball Team. She earned a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a silver medal at the 2014 World Championships, a bronze medal at the 2011 Japan World Cup and two gold medals at the Asian Championship.
Leyla Piedayesh: Leyla is a Berlin native, and a fashion designer. She was the editor of MTV Berlin’s “Designerama.” She later started her own fashion line called Lala Berline meant to bring together urban cool and elegant chic fashion.
Lorena Ochoa: Lorena is a Mexican professional golfer, who was the top ranked female golfer for a total of 158 consecutive weeks. This made her the first Mexican golfer to be ranked number one in the world. She is considered the best Latin American female golfer of all time.
Martyna Wojciechowska: Martyna is a Polish journalist and writer. She climbed the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. She is also the host of “Woman at the Edge of the World” a tv series in Poland. In addition to this she is the National Geographic Poland editor and chief.
Sara Gama: Sara is an Italian soccer player. She made her debut on the Italian Women’s National Soccer team in 2006. That same year she qualified for the 2007 Fifa World Cup. She served as the team captain in the 2008 European Championship, which her team won.
Guan Xiaotong: Guan is a Chinese actress also known by her American name Traey Miley. Some of her notable films are; “Nuan”, ‘The Promise” and “The Left Ear” as well as the television series “To Be a Better Man.”
YuanYuan Tan: Yuan is a principal ballerina at the San Francisco Ballet Company as well as a guest principal ballerina at the Hong Kong Ballet Company. She is one of the most accomplished dancers of her generation. She has danced lead roles in several major ballets. She has also become a fashion icon and celebrity in China.
Vicky Martin Berrocal: Vicky is a Spanish fashion designer and actress. She is known for designing festive costumes, flamenco dresses and ball gowns. Before becoming a fashion designer she studied marketing a business sciences.
Barbie also released a video as part of their #MoreRoleModels campaign of some of the women with their dolls. Each Barbie doll’s body type and clothing as well as facial features will reflect the features and styles of the women the dolls are based on. The Frida Kahlo, Katherine Johnson and Amelia Earhart dolls are currently available for pre-order online. The rest of the dolls do not have a release date yet, but should go on sale very soon. The dolls will retail for around $29.99 and be sold wherever Barbie dolls are sold as well as online.