Following in the footsteps of Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and every other woman A-lister you follow, Barbie has been gradually outing herself as a real, actual feminist who speaks out for actual, equal rights. There was Mattel’s Sheros collection, which launched back in April. Dedicated to ‘female heroes who inspired girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere,’ it featured dolls modeled after legitimately boss modern icons, such as Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay, who speaks regularly and eloquently about equality. And now, there’s this new ad, which posits that little girls can and should be anything they want to be — a men’s futbol coach, university lecturer, high-flying exec, veterinarian, you name it!
It’s a simple, no-brainer of an idea, but a huge one when you consider that it was just last year that a psychology study revealed girls who play with Barbie think they can do FEWER jobs than boys, rather than the same or more. This ad, may look like one small step for a plastic doll (or let’s be real: one big corporate play for relevancy), but it’s a massive win for all the little girls of the world who don’t yet know the meaning of the pay gap but do understand the emotional high of a shiny new toy.
Kenya Hunt is the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK. Her career spans working for some of the world's most influential women’s titles on both sides of the Atlantic from her post-graduate days as an Assistant Editor at the seminal magazine, Jane, to her time as Deputy Editor of Grazia UK and ELLE UK. As the founder of R.O.O.M. Mentoring, she advocates for greater diversity within the fashion industry by providing a supportive network for some of the many talented aspiring designers, journalists and image makers of colour London has to offer. In 2021, she was recognised by The British Fashion Council for her work and given a Global Leader Of Change Award at its annual Fashion Awards. An American based in London, she lives south of the river with her husband and two sons. Her critically-acclaimed book, Girl: Essays on Black Womanhood (HarperCollins/HQ), is out now.
