Chloe Kim, Patty Jenkins, and more get their own Barbie dolls for International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day, Barbie is honoring accomplished role models with their very own dolls. From aviator Amelia Earhart to USA Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, Barbie created 17 realistic-looking dolls inspired by impactful women from all different backgrounds and occupational fields. “As a brand that inspires the limitless potential in girls, Barbie will be honoring its largest lineup of role models timed to International Women’s Day because we know that you can’t be what you can’t see,” Lisa McKnight, Barbie’s senior vice president and general manager, said in a press release.
The lineup includes three historical figures and 14 modern-day women. In addition to Kim, the modern-day dolls include Wonder Woman filmmaker Patty Jenkins, wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin, championship boxer Nicola Adams, windsurfer Cagla Kubat, chef Helene Darroze, volleyball champion Hui Ruoqi, and designer and entrepreneur Leyla Piedayesh. Professional golfer Lorena Ochoa, journalist Martyna Wojciechowska, soccer player Sara Gama, actress and philanthropist Xiaotong Guan, ballerina Yuan Tan, and fashion designer and entrepreneur Vicky Martin also got dolls created in their likenesses.
“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,” McKnight said. The effort to inspire the next generation of women with modern-day female heroes is part of Barbie’s Shero program, which began in 2015. Over the years, the initiative has honored history-making women like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Misty Copeland, Ava DuVernay, Eva Chen, and Ashley Graham. “Sheroes are given the Barbie brand’s highest honor, a oneof-a-kind doll made in their likeness, in celebration of their roles in expanding the possibilities for girls everywhere,” the company noted.
In addition to the modern-day Sheroes, Barbie introduced dolls of three impactful women from history this year: aviator Amelia Earhart, artist Frida Kahlo, and mathematician Katherine Johnson. Though the 14 modern-day role model dolls are one-of-a-kind and not currently available for sale, the three dolls in the historical Inspiring Women line are currently available for pre-order, and will be available for purchase in the coming months. To participate in the call to inspire women around the world, Barbie is also encouraging fans to share women who inspire them on social media using the hashtag #MoreRoleModels.