Barbie Amps Up Girl Power for International Women’s Day

Chloe Kim, Patty Jenkins, Bindi Irwin, and other inspiring ladies now have their own Barbie dolls.

Mattel is releasing 17 new Barbie dolls honoring historical and modern-day role models from around the world, ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. And let me tell you, I am here 👏 for 👏 it 👏.

With 81 percent of moms globally worried about the type of role models their daughters are exposed to, according an OnePoll survey of 8,000 moms commissioned by Mattel, Barbie is reinforcing the importance of positive role models.

Barbie’s Shero program expands with 14 modern-day role models, honoring women who have have broken boundaries in their fields. Through the program, which started in 2015, Sheroes are given the Barbie brand’s highest honor, a one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness, in celebration of their roles in expanding the possibilities for girls everywhere.

Barbie has previously honored women for Shero, including Ibtihaj Muhammad, Misty Copeland, Ava DuVernay, Eva Chen, and Ashley Graham.

Global honorees announced today include:

• • Patty Jenkins, Filmmaker, U.S. – The first woman in history to helm a film with a budget in excess of $100 million for Wonder Woman, which broke the record for Biggest Grossing Live-Action Film Directed by a Woman, domestic and worldwide
  • Chloe Kim, Snowboarding Champion, U.S. – A first generation Asian-American snowboarding champion and the youngest woman to win a gold medal in snowboarding at the 2018 winter games at age 17
  • Bindi Irwin, Conservationist, Australia – International award-winning wildlife conservationist and celebrity who inherited her father’s passion for wildlife and is dedicated to inspiring the next generation to make a difference in the world
  • Nicola Adams, Boxing Champion, the UK – Two-time gold medalist who is Great Britain’s most successful female boxer of all time and is the only female boxer in the history of the sport to have held all four amateur titles
  • Çağla Kubat, Windsurfer, Turkey – Champion windsurfer and member of the Fenerbahçe sailing and windsurfing team who founded her own windsurfing school for young surfers
  • Hélène Darroze, World-Renowned Chef, France – Inspirational fourth-generation French chef with three restaurants and two Michelin stars
  • Hui Ruoqi, Volleyball Champion, China – Fifteenth Captain of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team who also won gold in the 2016 summer games
  • Leyla Piedayesh, Designer and Entrepreneur, Germany – Iranian immigrant and founder of fashion label lala Berlin that incorporates urban-cool and elegant-chic elements in its high-quality knitwear
  • Lorena Ochoa, Professional Golfer, Mexico – Athlete, mother, entrepreneur and unbreakable promoter of golf in Mexico
  • Martyna Wojciechowska, Journalist, Poland – TV presenter, magazine editor, author, director and the second Polish woman to conquer the Seven Summits
  • Sara Gama, Soccer Player, Italy – Captain of Juventus and Italian national soccer team, member of the Federal Board and President of Commission for the development of women’s soccer
  • Xiaotong Guan, Actress and Philanthropist, China – Ambassador for “World Life Day,” a joint campaign by the United Nations Environment Program, International Fund for Animal Welfare and The Nature Conservancy, and known as the “Nation’s Daughter” in China
  • Yuan Tan, Prima Ballerina, China – Prima ballerina and principal dancer at the San Francisco Ballet and guest principal dancer at the Hong Kong Ballet
  • Vicky Martin Berrocal, Entrepreneur and Fashion Designer, Spain – Leads the creative direction of Victoria company with collections that include festive costumes, flamenco dresses, gowns, handbags and jewelry

In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, we are committed to shining a light on empowering female role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls.

Join the conversation by sharing your role models using #MoreRoleModels. pic.twitter.com/5oJnZywk7s

— Barbie (@Barbie) March 6, 2018

Mattel also introduces the Barbie Inspiring Women series, a line of historical dolls that come with educational information about the contributions each woman made to society and their respective fields. The first three dolls in this series, available for purchase now, are:

• • Amelia Earhart – First female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, courageously challenging the conventions of the times by breaking and setting aviation records
  • Frida Kahlo – Artist who gained recognition for her unique style and perspective, and became a celebrated artist, activist and symbol of strength
  • Katherine Johnson –  Pioneer in mathematics who broke through barriers of race and gender, and joined a pool of women hired by NASA to work as  “human computers” to calculate the trajectory of the first American-manned flight into space.

Barbie asking fans to tag and share the female role models that inspire them, using #MoreRoleModels on social media.