Ava DuVernay, the director of civil rights drama Selma, has been honoured by toy-maker Mattel with a special Barbie modelled on her.
DuVernay is part of Mattel’s Sheroes, a set of “female heroes who inspire girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere”. The women were celebrated at Variety’s Power of Women lunch in New York on 24 April.
Other Sheroes come from a variety of industries. Actors Emmy Rossum, from The Day After Tomorrow and TV’s Shameless, and Kristin Chenoweth, best known for her role in the musical Wicked, as well for appearing in Glee and The West Wing, are among those honoured.
The group also features country singer Trisha Yearwood, fashion magazine editor Eva Chen and five-year-old fashion designer Sydney “Mayhem” Keiser.
“We are proud to honour six Sheroes who, through their trade and philanthropic efforts, are an inspiration to girls,” Evelyn Mazzocco, senior vice president at Mattel, said. “Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honour and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass-ceiling breakers.”
There will be a charity fundraising auction for each of the women to sell their dolls, as well as a National #Shero day on 27 April.
