Mattel recently announced the arrival of the first Barbie doll with Down syndrome. The release is meant to signal Barbie's shift toward its most inclusive and diverse lineup yet.
The said doll is part of the Fashionistas 2023 collection. Barbie had consulted with the National Down Syndrome Society in the U.S. to come up with an accurate depiction of someone with Down syndrome. If we look closely, we can see that the doll's body is shaped with a shorter frame and longer torso. The round face is also meant to represent a person with Down syndrome's defining characteristics, featuring smaller ears and slanted eyes.
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Even the doll's dress, which is a yellow and blue ensemble with butterflies, packs symbols for Down syndrome awareness. The colors represent the Down syndrome awareness movement while the butterflies showcase the best qualities of people with Down syndrome. We can even see the Barbie wearing ankle foot orthotics, which are commonly worn by children with Down syndrome.
The pink necklace, on the other hand, is meant to signify the "three copies of the 21st chromosome, which is the genetic material that causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome," says the group.
"Our goal is to enable all children to see themselves in Barbie, while also encouraging children to play with dolls who do not look like themselves," added Lisa McKnight, Mattel's executive vice president and global head of Barbie & Dolls, in a statement.
For a time, Mattel and Barbie had been criticized by the public for their unrealistic portrayal of women's figures. It has adopted a better approach over the years. These include making Barbie and Ken dolls with hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, and the like. Meanwhile, some dolls in the past were dedicated to feminists and other female role models. Barbie reportedly has 175 varieties today.
According to United Nations research, the estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Roughly 3,000 to 5,000 kids are born with the chromosome disorder annually.
"Doll play outside of a child's own lived experience can teach understanding and build a greater sense of empathy.... We are proud to introduce a Barbie doll with Down syndrome to better reflect the world around us and further our commitment to celebrating inclusion through play," McKnight continued.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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