Recently Mattel has announced a new 2019 Barbie Fashionista line, including dolls with prosthetic limbs and dolls in wheelchairs in order to include diversity. The Barbies will be available in June to mark Barbie’s 60th birthday.

Mattel has already released taller and shorter dolls with more curves in response to complaints that young girls were starting to feel ashamed of their bodies when compared to Barbie’s so-called ‘perfect body and hair.’ There have even been cases of children manually removing limbs from their dolls to make them more like themselves.

Mattel is also introducing more male dolls to join Ryan and Ken and a line of dolls based on female role models such as Frida Kahlo.

By Sophie and Eva, Y7