MattelBy JACQUELINE LAUREAN YATES, ABC News (NEW YORK) — As many people are anticipating the 2020 election, Barbie is ready to make her mark at the polls, too.On July 28, Mattel, Inc. debuted the Barbie 2020 Campaign Team set that features four diverse dolls in roles such as candidate, campaign manager, fundraiser and voter. The aim of the latest launch is to show girls public leadership roles while also elevating their interest in how they can shape the future.”Since 1959, Barbie has championed girls and encouraged them to be leaders whether in the classroom, community or someday, of the country,” said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel, in a statement. “With less than a third of elected leaders in the U.S. being women, and Black women being even less represented in these positions, we designed the Barbie Campaign Team with a diverse set of dolls to show all girls they can raise their voices.”She continued, “Our goal is to remove barriers to leadership by giving girls the tools to imagine and play out their future roles.”Images of the dolls show that they all have different ethnicities, body types, hair textures and fashion styles.Along with the new Campaign Team set, Barbie brand is also teaming up with She Should Run, a non-partisan nonprofit that provides guidance and support to women considering a run for office.Together, Barbie and She Should Run are planning to directly address the top barriers girls face in leadership, which are self-limiting beliefs that are also in line with what the brand seeks to address through the Barbie Dream Gap Project.”With the upcoming elections and the current push for equality and representation, 2020 is an incredible time for us to inspire young women and girls to lead,” said Erin Loos Cutraro, founder and CEO of She Should Run, in a statement. “Understanding the role we play in empowering our daughters is the first step — we have to have healthy conversations at home and encourage curiosity. By getting them excited today, we’re giving them the confidence to raise their voices and run for office tomorrow.”Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
