Female pedestrian signals ignite debate in Australia

  • Published
The new pedestrian signals on display in Melbourne (7 March 2017)Image source, Gerry Cantwell
Image caption,

The new pedestrian signals were installed on Tuesday

Traffic signals depicting pedestrians in dresses have been unveiled in Australia as part of a gender equality campaign.

The trial programme in Melbourne is designed to "reduce unconscious bias", said to the lobby group behind them.

But the 10 signals in the city centre have drawn a mixed response, with critics saying they are unnecessary.

Organisers hope the city's pedestrian crossings will ultimately depict men and women in equal numbers.

"Unconscious bias reinforces stereotypes and influences daily decisions and attitudes," said Martine Letts, CEO of lobby group Committee For Melbourne.

The signals would "draw our attention to these issues in a practical and positive way", she said.

A tweet reads:"How I love #Melbourne! Female traffic lights installed to reduce #unconsciousbias #nudge"Image source, @SusanMaury
A tweet reads: "Gesture politics? Why not - go Melbourne fun feminists"Image source, @DamageDeluxe

But not all people approved of the change, which is a 12-month trial backed by the local roads authority.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle told the Herald Sun: "I'm all for doing anything we can for gender equity, but really?"

"Unfortunately, I think this sort of costly exercise is more likely to bring derision."

Criticism was also expressed on social media.

A tweet reads: "#Melbourne traffic light changes male sign to female, oh please nothing better to do with rate payers' money? Really?"Image source, @PatrickMcNallyhD
A tweet reads: "Now we've dealt with the evil men crossing lights we are free to solve the final issue facing women everywhere, men holding the door 4 you:"Image source, @bortofdarkness
A tweet reads: "Wouldn't this money be better spent on mental health within the LGBT community?"Image source, @youjustsaycc

Others pointed out possible issues with how genders are represented.

Never quite understood why 'human not wearing a dress' is necessarily considered maleImage source, @youneedabath
Who says it's a little green man? Maybe it was a little green woman wearing trousers all this timeImage source, @ms_sara_p

Victorian Minister for Women Fiona Richardson said there were "many small - but symbolically significant - ways that women are excluded from public space".

"This is a wonderful way to make public space more inclusive for women," she said in a statement.

The trial signals were installed on Tuesday ahead of International Women's Day.

Organisers said the cost of future rollouts could be minimised by coinciding them with scheduled replacements of old signals.

It comes a year after a Melbourne council depicted the city's first female councillor, external in a pedestrian signal.

Another Melbourne council depicted Victoria's first female councillor in a pedestrian signal last yearImage source, City of Yarra
Image caption,

Melbourne's first female councillor, Mary Rogers, was honoured in a pedestrian signal last year