Rosa Parks And Sally Ride Among New 'Inspiring Women' Barbie Dolls
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - I guess you could call it one small step for womankind. Toymaker Mattel is honoring Rosa Parks and Sally Ride with their very own Barbie dolls.
Rosa Parks was an American activist known as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement and Sally Ride was the first American woman -- and youngest American -- to fly in space.
Each doll comes with educational material about each woman's contributions to society, authentic clothing and unique accessories.
The new Barbies debuted on August 26 -- Women's Equality Day.
According to Mattel, research has shown that starting at the age of five, many girls are less likely than boys to view their own gender as smart and begin to lose confidence in their competence -- a phenomenon called the "Dream Gap." Showing girls more role models, historical and present, and telling their stories can help close that gap.
The new dolls are part of the Inspiring Women Series, which debuted on International Women's Day in 2018. Its mission is to honor historical role models who paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than before.
Dolls of Amelia Earhart, Katherine Johnson and Frida Kahlo are also part of the collection.
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