GIRLS INCORPORATED AND MATTEL HOST WOMEN AND GIRLS ON WALL STREET DAY

GIRLS INCORPORATED AND MATTEL HOST
“WOMEN AND GIRLS ON WALL STREET” DAY
Girls Inc.® and Mattel celebrate Barbie's 40th anniversary by encouraging girls to invest in their futures and by honoring women's achievements in the financial industry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 1999

NEW YORK — As the Barbie' doll marked her 40th anniversary on March 9, 1999, women and girls came together at the New York Stock Exchange for a special “Power Breakfast.” Girls Incorporated, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold(sm), has partnered with Mattel, Inc. and the Barbie brand to bring a message of empowerment to girls across the country and to provide them with the tools to pursue their dreams. The alliance will focus initially on economic literacy—the skills and knowledge girls need to become financially independent adults.

Jill Barad, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, began the day by ringing the bell to open trading and then joined Isabel Carter Stewart, National Executive Director of Girls Incorporated, and Muriel Siebert, the first woman to buy a seat on the new York Stock Exchange, to lead the Power Breakfast. Twenty girls from Girls Inc. of New York City teamed up with women from the financial services industry to participate in a hands-on learning activity designed to start girls thinking about investing in their own futures.

“The aim of our Economic Literacy Initiative is to provide girls with the financial skills necessary for them to achieve their goals,” said Isabel Carter Stewart. “Although girls recognize that money is important, our research indicates that they are not confident about money management or investing. Our programs work to eliminate this disparity, and we are very excited that Mattel and the Barbie brand have chosen to partner with us in this endeavor.”

“We are commemorating the Barbie doll's birthday not only by focusing on the brand's success and longevity but also by celebrating the future possibilities that are open to all girls,” noted Jill Barad. “With 75 careers over the past 40 years, Barbie has encouraged girls to dream. We are honored to work with Girls Inc., Muriel Siebert, and all of the Ambassadors of Dreams to help girls 'Be Anything.'”

As part of the Barbie brand's 40th anniversary celebration, women leaders, trendsetters, and groundbreakers have been chosen to serve as role models for girls. Among these Ambassadors of Dreams is Muriel Siebert, founder and President of Muriel Siebert & Co., the only woman-owned NYSE brokerage firm with a national presence in the U.S. Other Ambassadors include: Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned marine biologist; Katrina Garnett, technology entrepreneur; Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie doll; Jackie Joyner-Kersee, one of the greatest athletes in the world; Geraldine Laybourne, top entertainment executive; Ann Moore, president of People magazine; Rosie O'Donnell, Emmy-winning talk show host; and Vera Wang, leading fashion designer.

Girls Inc. launched an economic literacy effort in 1998 after research on the attitudes of girls and women towards money. In 1997, Girls Inc. and Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. held a press conference to release findings showing that 75% of responding women wish they had learned more about money when growing up. Girls Inc. then commissioned a Louis Harris & Associates survey, in which 50% of participating girls cite their mothers as the one person who has taught them the most about financial matters. The research also revealed that, while girls and boys have similar views about money, girls are significantly less confident than boys about how to manage it. What emerges from both studies is a cycle of uncertainty about money that is passed from one generation of women to the next. The Girls Inc. Economic Literacy Initiative seeks to break this pattern.

For more than 54 years, Girls Inc. has worked toward its vision of empowered girls and an equitable society. A national youth development, research, and advocacy organization, Girls Inc. is dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Innovative programs offered in over 1,000 sites across the country help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.

Mattel, Inc. is a worldwide leader in design, manufacture, and marketing of children's products. With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and markets its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world.