Barbie celebrates International Women's Day with new Eleanor Roosevelt doll
Mattel is celebrating Women's History Month with a fitting new addition to the Barbie family: An Eleanor Roosevelt doll.
Ahead of International Women's Day on Monday, Barbie announced that Eleanor Roosevelt is the latest historical role model to join its "Inspiring Women" series, which helps fund women-led research on media representation. The Dream Gap project attempts to address bias in the classroom, internalized racial bias and inequities in representation.
The longest-serving first lady, Roosevelt served in the White House during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt's terms in office, from 1933 to 1945. Known for her humanitarian work, the United Nations spokeswoman also has a long political career of her own.
"A champion of policies around civil and economic rights, Eleanor Roosevelt's passionate advocacy was unwavering, even when faced with resistance," Mattel said in a statement. "Earning the title 'First Lady of the World' for her hard work and dedication to humanitarian efforts, Eleanor Roosevelt's perseverance redefined the role of women in politics and public life."
Wearing a floral print dress, pearl necklace and black hat, Roosevelt's doll joins Maya Angelou, Billie Jean King, Ella Fitzgerald, Florence Nightingale, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Katherine Johnson, Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, and Sally Ride in the series.
In addition to the new doll, Barbie is also launching its first-ever interactive digital series, spotlighting role models including Yara Shahidi, Adwoa Aboah and more "who paved the way for future generations of girls to dream bigger."
The educational series, which is available on Facebook and YouTube, is designed for families and will feature actives and performances every Saturday in March. It will cover a range of interests, including music, dance, sports, wellness and STEAM.
"With over 60 years of history inspiring the next generation, Barbie continues to stay relevant by being everywhere our consumers are and engaging fans in new ways," said Lisa McKnight, Mattel's Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls.
"With the virtual event space growing exponentially, we are leaning in with innovative online experiences authentic to our brand DNA, like the Barbie You Can Be Anything Series, to connect female role models who have broken boundaries with families and remind them that kids will become the leaders of tomorrow."
