13 Barbie dolls honouring inspiring women: from pop icons Cher and Jennifer Lopez to tennis champ Naomi Osaka and Dune actress Zendaya’s dreadlocked Oscars 2015 look
- Mattel’s line of dolls today includes a Naomi Osaka figurine, a model of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, and even pays tribute to Covid-19 frontline workers
- Other inspiring historical figures include an Amelia Earhart doll with a map and helmet, as well as an Abby Wambach Barbie sporting a soccer jersey
Barbie isn’t just a pretty face – she’s also become a champion of girl power, a figure employed to celebrate some of the most iconic women of our time.
Recently, manufacturer Mattel broke with the past by releasing a line of dolls to commemorate frontline workers during the pandemic, including the woman who co-created the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Professor Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, is one of six women being commemorated for their role in combating the coronavirus with new Barbie dolls.
The other women include frontline workers from around the globe. Professor Jaqueline Goés de Jesus is a Brazilian biomedical researcher, while Dr Kirby White co-created a reusable gown for health care workers in Australia.
Canadian Dr Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a physician, spoken-word poet and social activist, while Amy O’Sullivan and Dr Audrey Sue Cruz are both health care workers in the US.
Before these forward-thinking models were introduced, several empowering celebrities have also been commemorated with their own Barbie figures ...
Mattel created a Barbie version of Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian female European Space Agency astronaut
