Barbie, the famous plastic doll and a staple toy of many childhoods, is now a judge.
On their official Twitter account, the brand announced, “The verdict is in! With over 200 careers since 1959, this year Barbie takes the stand as a Judge! The Barbie Judge Doll encourages girls to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better.”
Yes, she comes with a Barbie-sized gavel. Mattel Inc. writes on the website, “Barbie Judge dolls inspire girls to imagine everything they can become — like protecting the rights of others and ruling on legal cases! She wears an authentic career outfit with a black robe and comes with a gavel and block to play out all kinds of stories. Kids will love being the judge, and there are so many stories to ‘hear’ and tell as they explore a career in the courtroom and create their own justice with Barbie Judge doll.”
Courtesy: @barbie on Instagram
The Barbie Judge Doll is the latest choice for their “Career of the Year” line and highlights the importance of having more women in the court. Available in different skin tones and hairstyles, their newest doll was created with female U.S judges in mind. The brand said that it hopes to inspire young girls to pursue careers in the judicial space, which is currently made up of only a third of women. Earlier this year, history was made when 17 black women in Texas were sworn into judicial positions. Mattel Inc. also took the time to consult the National Association of Women Judges to make sure that Judge Barbie truly represented the profession. Product descriptions say that the dolls “inspire girls to imagine everything they can become – like protecting the rights of others and ruling on legal cases.”
Courtesy: @barbie on Instagram
It also makes the push to “Close the Dream Gap”. Mattel Inc. and Barbie announced its partnership with the social fundraising platform, GoFundMe, in an initiative to help close the dream gap which is explained on their GoFundMe page as the moment when girls starting at age 5 are likely to begin to doubt that their gender can do or be anything. In a press release, Mattel Inc. and Barbie also outlined which nonprofit organizations the contributions would be going to: “She’s the First,” which advocates for girls’ education and girls’ rights, “She Should Run,” which guides and supports women considering running for office, and “Step Up,” which provides mentorship to girls.
Courtesy: @barbie on Instagram
In 1959, Barbie came in one shape and style. Now, Mattel Inc. has taken responsibility as the original girl empowerment brand to keep on creating inclusive dolls focused on meeting the needs and changes of the dynamic culture kids are growing up in. Mattel has given us gender-neutral, disabled, and historical dolls. What’s next? There isn’t a boundary that they are not willing to push.
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