Unveiled during Glamour’s 2017 Women of the Year Awards, Mattel tapped American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad as the inspiration for one its “Sheroes” Barbie doll, a set of dolls inspired by inspirational women. Like Muhammad, the doll wears a hijabi, the first Barbie to do so.
“When I think about my own journey, me being a Muslim girl involved in the sport of fencing, there were people who made me feel like I didn’t belong. For all those people who didn’t believe in me, this Barbie doll is for you.”” said Muhammad who is a member of the U.S. fencing team and the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab during a competition.
The Hijab wearing Barbie will be available in 2018.