"We need Entrepreneur Barbie so little girls can have a role model and can see someone who looks like them in the future and to know that when they grow up, they can become an entrepreneur," said Erica Diamond, Barbie Canada’s chief inspiration officer, in an article that appeared on Yahoo.ca.
Entrepreneur Barbie is cloaked in a pink sleeveless dress with black accents and comes complete with a briefcase (which resembles a designer purse, the article notes), and a tiny tablet and smartphone accessories.
Mattel Canada argues Entrepreneur Barbie was created to inspire young girls to "dream big and perhaps one day be their own boss," the article reports.
In addition to the Barbie, Mattel also announced a new Barbie Business Bursary Program which will award three Canadian entrepreneurs under the age of 18 with $2,500 each to help fund their winning business idea.
Of course, Entrepreneur Barbie and Barbies in general are not complete without controversy.
"I think both Entrepreneur Barbie and their $7,500 bursary fund trivializes the issues women in business generally face, and female entrepreneurs in particular," says business professor Wendy Cukier, who teaches at Ryerson University’s management school, in the article.
She is doubtful that Entrepreneur Barbie will make much of a difference, referring to a recent Oregon State University study that found girls who played with Barbies were less confident and believed in fewer career options than girls who played with other toys.
"…the research really suggests that if you want to build confident, enterprising and risk-taking girls, they’re better off playing with Lego or [Mrs.] Potato Head."
Mattel was quick to note that lots of successful women played with Barbies as children, and many children view them as friends and sources of great imagination.
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Original Source: Yahoo