Barbie just released its first doll wearing a hijab to honor American Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad
Barbie is making history by releasing its first hijab-wearing Barbie, honoring American Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim American woman to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab.
On Monday, the brand posted a picture of Muhammad posing with her Barbie with the caption, “We are so excited to honor @IbtihajMuhammad with a one-of-a-kind #Barbie doll! Ibtihaj continues to inspire women and girls everywhere to break boundaries.”
Muhammad also took to Instagram to gush about the new Barbie: “Thank you @Mattel for announcing me as the newest member of the @Barbie Shero family! The Barbie Shero Program recognizes women who break boundaries to inspire the next generation of girls and I am so excited to join this incredible group of women. 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 ?? #shero”
— Jordin Sparks drops double bombshell that’s married and pregnant —
She also showed off her new Barbie at Glamour’s Woman of the Year summit in New York.
“Barbie is celebrating Ibtihaj not only for her accolades as an Olympian, but for embracing what makes her stand out,” Sejal Shah Miller, Barbie’s vice-president of marketing, told Bustle in a statement. “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.”
This is the latest of Barbie’s efforts to make more inclusive dolls, including dolls with different body types and skin colors.
