On Monday, it was announced at the Glamour’s Women of the Year summit that Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad would be the next woman to be honored with a Barbie in her image for the doll’s “Shero” line.
Muhammad is the first Muslim-American woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics, and her Barbie is the first to ever wear a hijab in Barbie’s history, according to People. HuffPo shared a statement from Barbie, celebrating Muhammad’s accomplishments:
“Barbie is celebrating Ibtihaj not only for her accolades as an Olympian, but for embracing what makes her stand out,” Vice President of Global Marketing for Barbie Sejal Shah Miller said in a press release. “Ibtihaj is an inspiration to countless girls who never saw themselves represented, and by honoring her story, we hope this doll reminds them that they can be and do anything.”
In her interview with HuffPo, the Bronze medalist said that representation in the Barbie line was important to her in part because it continued a tradition in her family of considering inclusion in play for children:
“My mom made efforts when I was a kid to bring dolls into the house that were only dolls of color,” she said. “So I only had brown Barbie dolls growing up and I think that was an effort made by my parents to see us reflected in the dolls we played with. It’s revolutionary to make all kids ― no matter your skin color, your gender, your ethnicity, your religious beliefs―feel included.”
Muhammad’s doll will be joining the Barbie ranks alongside the likes of Ava DuVernay, Gabby Douglas, and Misty Copeland, and will be available in 2018.