A Victorian lobby group has won in its push to have several traffic lights around Melbourne changed into 'female' figures as part of a push for gender equality and to reduce "unconscious bias."
As part of an initiative by The Committee for Melbourne, 10 traffic lights around Melbourne's CBD will now have lights depicting females for a 12-month trial. According to the ABC, the cost of changing more than six traffic lights comes in at $8400 (the Committee for Melbourne and Camlex Electrical are footing the bill). The group eventually want all traffic lights to have an even split between male and female traffic lights.
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The move has sparked debate on social media, with people questioning whether the move was overly PC, if the money could have been spent on more worthy initiatives, whether we knew that traffic lights were male in the first place and why the female figure had to be wearing a dress. Could she not be a female traffic light in trousers?
And on the questions went. Below is a breakdown of the key themes.
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Some questioned the cost and whether there could have been a more worthy use of the money
Instead of changing walking men into women@ traffic lights, why not take the GST off female hygiene products? I'm sure it will cost the same
— mayyyvis (@MrsTempu5_Fugit) March 7, 2017
So. The "women on traffic lights" thing:
— Jessie Taylor (@taylor_jessie) March 7, 2017
a) women wear pants too
b) How many nights at a DV shelter can we buy in lieu of $8,400/light?🤦🏻♀️
Spending almost $9k to combat 'discrimination' in traffic lights while DV victims and truly oppressed women suffer alone? Really? #auspol pic.twitter.com/F9JmzBCq5s
— A Free Australia (@freeaustralian) March 7, 2017
Over 42,000 Australian women are homeless while we spend thousands to include female figures in the Melbourne traffic lights... #ridiculous
— Ellie McKenzie (@elliemck3nzie) March 7, 2017
It costs around $8,400 to change just six traffic lights.
— Alicia (@DiddlyDonger) March 7, 2017
Imagine all the useful things u could do with that money to support women instead. https://t.co/dATmRrZJsp
Others wondered whether the unconscious bias also extended to how the female figure was depicted
@cityofmelbourne that the existing traffic lights represent women already, and men, and trans. Do I have to have a dress to be a woman?
— Ailie Coulter (@AilieCoulter) March 6, 2017
This is ridiculous. Also who says the flashing human at the traffic lights is a man? ALSO who says women can only be represented by dresses? pic.twitter.com/3wEZAFaekQ
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) March 6, 2017
And others pulled the "PC gone mad card"
A lot of precious snowflakes upset that some traffic lights will have women on themhttps://t.co/PSt5t0r4F2
— Derek Mack (@derek_mack) March 7, 2017
women equal traffic lights are PC too far... i know right, why are women even crossing the streets, they should be at home, in the kitchen??
— TurnLeft (@TurnLeft2017) March 7, 2017
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