The Women’s Center hosted an open house Oct. 4, where St. Joe’s students and faculty gathered to discuss what Barbie means to them and Barbie’s impact on feminism.
Organizers decorated the building’s interior in pink, turning the space into a Barbie Dreamhouse, and served Barbie-themed cupcakes and pink lemonade. Attendees were welcome to show up in their favorite Barbie-inspired outfits.
But the purpose of the event was deeper than wearing pink and dressing up as a Barbie doll. Dana Hungerford ’23, M.A. ’24, an event co-organizer, said the Women’s Center wanted to use the Barbie movie to host an event that would celebrate femininity and foster community.
“I feel like a lot of people, especially those who identify as women, had a very emotional reaction to the ‘Barbie’ movie,” Hungerford said.
Giselle Kaderabek ’26, a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative, said “Barbie” and the movie’s implications have sparked empowerment within her personal and professional life. Kaderabek said watching the “Barbie” movie empowered her.
“Barbie, to me, is definitely related to the movie’s message of pursuing my professional and personal goals no matter what that means for anybody else,” Kaderabek said. “And not conforming to what’s going on in society or the opinions of others, but following the route that I think I should take in my life.”
Sara Melley ’23, M.A. ’24, Women’s Center member and event co-organizer, said the event was a way to get more visibility for the Women’s Center.
“Asking our question for this event, ‘what does Barbie mean to you?,’ has sparked deeper conversations about intersectionality and the implications that women can do whatever they want to do,” Melley said.
Hungerford said the event was meant to get people to think more deeply about the movie and its real world implications.
“Barbie is not perfect, it’s problematic, and we’ve seen issues of Barbie when embracing different racial and ethnic identities and sometimes even promoting body dysmorphia,” Hungerford said. “So
we need to have this kind of education.”
