Shonda Rhimes and other inspiring women now have Barbie dolls made in their likeness
Mattel is honoring some of the most inspiring women in the industries of tech, wellness, STEM, education and more by creating Barbie dolls in their likeness.
A total of 12 female role models from around the world can now say that a Barbie doll has been made just for them.
One of the women who has her own Barbie is Shonda Rhimes, creator of hit TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and founder of the media empire Shondaland.
Other women included in the lineup are founder and CEO of Women’s Startup Lab Ari Horie, makeup artist Pat McGrath, CEO and co-founder of Canada Learning Code Melissa Sariffodeen, and Adriana Azuara, founder of All4Spas in Mexico.
“This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to honor 12 global trailblazing women to help empower the next generation of female leaders by sharing their stories,” Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie and Dolls, said in a press release.
The other seven women being honored with dolls include Doani Emanuela Bertain (teacher and founder of Sala 8), Jane Martino (chair and co-founder of Smiling Minds), Lan Yu (fashion designer), Butet Manurung (founder and director of SOKOLA), Sonia Peronaci (founder of Italian food website GialloZafferano), Tijen Onaran (CEO and founder of Global Digital Women) and Lena Mahfouf (author of “Always More”).
While these dolls aren’t currently for sale, Barbie has an Inspiring Women’s series that includes a handful of dolls you can buy. The dolls include some of the world’s most inspirational women, like Maya Angelou, Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt and more.
The latest doll in the collection is pioneering journalist, activist and researcher Ida B. Wells. Born into slavery during the Civil War, Wells became an activist for civil rights and women’s suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Which inspirational woman from history would you like to see as a Barbie?