Wasp Waist, Pink Clothes, High Heels - For more than fifty years Barbie has been an example of a dubious image of women and ideals of beauty. Some time ago, the company Mattel had started the attempt to become more diverse - and to inspire girls with "new female role models".
But assigning the classic Barbie doll to a gender has not been difficult. That's about to change: Mattel will also have gender-neutral Barbies in the future.
Children should no longer have to choose between clearly male or female styling their dolls. This should be possible with removable wigs. So should be able to change the hairstyles of the dolls between long and short hair children. The outfits would consist of both dresses and pants.
When the group introduced several Barbies to the market - including a wider hips, in different skin tones and a model with hijab - he recorded significant sales losses and most likely wanted to get rid of the approach with the negative image.
Now the corporation announces that it wants to make the new dolls because children would be rid of traditional stereotypes. "We've heard that children do not want their toys dictated by gender norms," said Kim Culmone, Mattel's designer of the dolls.
"Toys are a reflection of culture, and as the world celebrates the benefits of inclusiveness, it was time for us to develop a doll line that does not belong in a drawer."
The new dolls cost just under 40 euros.
