(Photo Mattel)
Elham Asaad Buaras
The iconic Barbie doll has added a new look to her wardrobe: a hijab, modelled on a famed Olympics fencer. American group Mattel made the announcement on November 13 on their Twitter account, “We are so excited to honour Ibtihaj Muhammad with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll! Ibtihaj continues to inspire women and girls everywhere to break boundaries”.
Muhammad, the first Muslim American to compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab, won a bronze medal in fencing at the 2016 Rio Games. “I’m proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab! This is a childhood dream come true,” she said.
The doll is the latest addition to Barbie’s ‘Sheroes’ program, which honours female heroes for inspiring girls by “breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere.”
Mattel, a California-based toy company, will make the new doll available for sale next year.Barbie’s “Sheroes” includes Oscar-nominated Director, Ava Duvernay, and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, Gabby Douglas.
