Mattel will release it's first-ever hijab-wearing Barbie doll next year, the company announced Monday.
The doll is modeled after American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, who became the first American Olympian to compete in a traditional Muslim headscarf during the 2018 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Muhammad earned a bronze medal as part of the team competition in women's fencing.
The doll will come with a full fencing uniforms, including a sabre and a mask.
Speaking at Glamour's Women of the Year Summit, Muhammad said she and her sisters used to sew hijabs for their Barbies while growing up in New Jersey. Now, she hopes that her own Barbie doll will inspire children of color across the country to "embrace what makes them unique."
"Thank you @Mattel for announcing me as the newest member of the @Barbie #Shero family!" Muhammad wrote on Twitter on Monday. "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."
Thank you @Mattel for announcing me as the newest member of the @Barbie#Shero family! 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 😭💘 #sheropic.twitter.com/py7nbtb2KD
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) November 13, 2017
Mattel says the newest Barbie will be available for purchase in 2018.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
