Barbie unveiled the first Barbie doll wearing a hijab, and it’s inspired by Olympic medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad. The doll will hit the shelves next year, and it comes with the medallist’s gear.
Muhammad became the first athlete to wear a hijab while representing the US at the Olympics last year. She’s also the first Muslim American woman to win an Olympic medal.
Introducing the first Barbie wearing a hijab
The doll was introduced at the Glamour Women of the Year gala in New York, on Monday.
“Ibtihaj is an inspiration to countless girls who never saw themselves represented. By honoring her story, we hope this doll reminds them that they can be and do anything,” Sejal Shah Miller, Barbie’s vice president of global marketing, said in a statement.
“Ibtihaj continues to inspire women and girls everywhere to break boundaries.”
In addition to the hijab, Muhammad’s doll features her helmet, saber, Nike shoes and on-point wing eyeliner.
The new Barbie is part of the company‘s Shero line, which highlights female heroes such as Ava DuVernay, Kristin Chenoweth, Zendaya, Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, and Ashley Graham.
In recent years Mattel has encouraged diversify in its Barbie dolls, which have been criticized in the past as promoting narrow and physically improbable standards of female beauty.
Last year, the company announced that a line of the dolls would be available in tall, petite and curvy forms.
Shattering the glass ceiling
“I’m excited to just partner with a brand that I know honors powerful women who are breaking barriers and whose sole goal is to impact the future leaders of tomorrow,” Muhammad said of getting her own Barbie doll.
“To be included in this conversation is very humbling and I’m over the moon about this whole thing.”
The importance of representing the first-ever hijab-wearing doll is not lost on Muhammad.
“I think its revolutionary for Barbie to take a stand in this moment that we’re in – and I would say, as a country, to have a doll wear a hijab and be the first of its kind,” she says.
“There has never been a Barbie doll to wear a hijab before. I’m really excited to have this moment happen in my life and also for all these little girls now who can shop for Barbie doll that may look them, may wear a hijab like they do, or like their mom does, or like a friend does.”
Muhammad already knows who she’d like to nominate for a Shero doll next year, Malala Yousafzai.
“I think it would be cool to have Malala have a Barbie doll… her storyline, in general, would be great to teach our kids today. I’m gonna tell Mattel to streamline that. I’ll be the agent on that.”
Source: Fortune