Dikeledi Moetji
Lira has made history by becoming the first African woman to have a Barbie doll made in her image.Growing up as a black child, it was always a mission to find a Barbie Doll that matched our skin. While our fairer-skinned peers played around with toys that looked just like they did.
When Lira unveiled her very own Barbie doll made in her likeness; it felt like a massive step forward for African children. The doll was made as part of Barbie’s 60th anniversary celebratory campaign titled Shero, which aims to empower and inspire girls around the world.
Lira took to Instagram to share the news and revealed how important this moment was for her and all the girls she hoped to inspire:”I am proud to announce that I have been awarded a one-of-a-kind Lira Barbie doll, as part of Barbie’s 60th Anniversary Shero campaign celebrating role models who inspire young girls to be all they can be. I am the very first African to be bestowed with this honour and I’m simply thrilled to be honoured in this way.”Dozens of followers including DJ Zinhle and Terry Pheto took to the comments section to praise Lira for the empowering move she was making just days before South African Women’s Day.
