What Happened When A Little Girl Complained About Rey's Absence From 'Star Wars' Monopoly

"Boys and girls need to see women can be as strong as men!"

In the midst of the controversy surrounding Hasbro's exclusion of the character Rey from its "Star Wars" merchandise, one little girl's impassioned letter to Hasbro made major waves.

Upset by Rey's absence from the new "Force Awakens" Monopoly game, 8-year-old Annie Rose wrote a letter to Hasbro, lamenting the toy company's decision.

"She belongs in Star Wars monopoly and all the Star Wars games," Annie Rose wrote. "Without her, there is no Force Awakens! It awakens in her! And without her, the bad guys would've won!"

"Besides," she continued, "Boys and girls need to see women can be as strong as men! Girls matter!"

Annie Rose's mom, HuffPost blogger Carrie Goldman, shared the letter on Twitter, where it was retweeted over 2,200 times.

Goldman told The Huffington Post that all three of her daughters are "Star Wars" super-fans. After her older daughter Katie was bullied for carrying a "Star Wars" lunchbox and water bottle in 2010, Goldman started writing about bullying and the negative effects of gender stereotypes in marketing. As she often talks about these issues with her kids, the mom was not surprised that Annie Rose had a strong reaction to the Monopoly game.

"Annie Rose clearly understood the implications of Rey being left out of 'Star Wars' Monopoly, and she had no trouble writing a letter!" Goldman said.

The little girl's note is reminiscent of the letter then 9-year-old Abigail Schneier wrote to Toys 'R' Us and George Lucas in 2014 after noticing the lack of female "Star Wars" action figures.

"Everybody deserves a voice," Goldman said. "Even one little kid can make a difference. Speak up and advocate for equality."

When Goldman tweeted Annie Rose's letter, she added the hashtag #WheresRey, which was created by her colleague and friend Jenna Busch, founder of the women-focused awareness group, Legion of Leia. Two days later, Hasbro responded with an announcement that Rey would be included in the next "Star Wars" Monopoly game later this year.

"Annie Rose was asleep in bed when Hasbro first sent me the news!" Goldman told HuffPost. "But I told her the next morning and her eyes grew wide and she gave me a huge toothless grin. Then she asked if they would also add BB8 and Chewie!"

While Goldman understands the theory that Rey was excluded from the game to avoid spoilers, she feels it was not necessary. "They could have included her in her Jakku clothing without a lightsaber," she said.

Like her daughter, Goldman is excited at the prospect of seeing the character represented in more future "Star Wars" merchandise.

"Rey represents strength and intelligence," the mom said. "Girls need to see strong female leads who are lauded based on their achievements and skills, not their appearance."

H/T Yahoo

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