Barbie Honors Shonda Rhimes & More With One-Of-A-Kind Doll As Part Of International Women’s Day Campaign

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Barbie will honor 12 female role models and entrepreneurs from across the globe, including Shonda Rhimes, with one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls in their likeness.

Today, Mattel, Inc. announced Barbie is partnering with entrepreneurs and role models to inspire the next generation of leaders and dreamers this International Women’s Day, according to a release provided to BLACK ENTEPRISE.

Through a multi-faceted campaign to increase access to female role models, support female entrepreneurs, and partner with like-minded global programs, Barbie is committed to help build confidence and reinforce the limitless potential of girls everywhere.

Throughout the world, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles.

In fact, NYU’s Cognitive Development Lab research** led by Professor of Psychology, Dr. Andrei Cimpian, and Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr. Andrea Vial, whose post-doctoral fellowship was funded by Mattel, uncovered that girls aged 5-10 are less likely to raise their hand for leadership positions, such as stepping up to be in charge of a group activity, and also perceive social backlash from volunteering to take on more responsibility. However, in the final stage of the study, researchers found that when exposed to female role models, girls – and boys – are more likely to volunteer to lead a group activity. This latest finding expands on ‘Dream Gap’ research that has shown that starting at age five, girls start doubting their potential and lose confidence in their own competence.

To address this barrier to girls’ success, Barbie established the Barbie Dream Gap Project in 2018, a multi-year global initiative created to raise awareness around limiting factors that prevent girls from reaching their full potential. Since launching, the brand has committed over one million dollars through the Barbie Dream Gap Project to nonprofit partners on a mission to achieve equality by fueling education, leadership skills and mentorship opportunities for girls.

“We know that children are inspired by what they see around them, which is why it’s so important for young girls to see themselves reflected in role models who’ve daringly pushed past roadblocks and overcome the Dream Gap to become the brave women they are today,” said Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel.

“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.”

Barbie is marking International Women’s Day and inspiring girls to dream big around the world by:

HONORING 12 GLOBAL FEMALE ROLE MODELS TO REMIND GIRLS THEY CAN BE ANYTHING by shining a light on women who are leaders in their respective industries of tech, wellness, STEM, education and more with one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls in their likeness. The global lineup of role models includes:
- Shonda Rhimes (United States) – Founder of American Television Production Company Shondaland

o Ari Horie (United States/Japan) – Founder & CEO, Women’s Startup Lab and Women’s Startup Lab Impact Foundation

o Pat McGrath (United Kingdom) – Makeup Artist and Founder of Pat McGrath Labs

o Melissa Sariffodeen (Canada) – CEO and Co-Founder of Canada Learning Code and Ladies Learning Code

o Adriana Azuara (Mexico) – Founder of All4Spas

o Doani Emanuela Bertain (Brazil) – Teacher and Founder of Sala 8

o Jane Martino (Newton) (Australia) – Chair and Co-Founder of Smiling Mind

o Lan Yu (China) – Fashion Designer

o Butet Manurung (Indonesia) – Founder and Director of SOKOLA

o Sonia Peronaci (Italy) – Founder of Italian food website, ‘GialloZafferano’

o Tijen Onaran (Germany) – CEO and Founder of Global Digital Women and Co-Founder of ACI Diversity Consulting

o Lena Mahfouf (France) – Digital Creator, Videographer and Author of ‘Always More’

As part of the global campaign to inspire the next generation of leaders and dreamers, Barbie is:

Expanding its research on the ‘Dream Gap’ to recognize limiting factors that prevent girls from reaching their full potential – finding that when girls are exposed to female role models, they become more likely to volunteer to lead a group activity
Connecting young girls with more female role models through its first-ever global Barbie Dream Gap Project partnership with Inspiring Girls International
Launching a curated shop from diverse, female-founded brands featuring a range of limited edition, giftable products in fashion, beauty and accessories
Celebrating Barbie in NFT art collection