Melbourne Pushes for Gender Equality



Melbourne is installing ten pedestrian crossing lights depicting a woman in a dress instead of "the usual male figure" in order to reduce unconscious bias. This is sparking a debate, of course.
(The Sydney Morning Herald)

London introduced similar changes during Pride Week last year (with some of the temporary traffic lights becoming permanent), the German city of Zwickau in 2004 (more).
"Some people have expressed a little scepticism wondering whether it's gesture politics rather than having any real substance. But these symbols are a practical and meaningful way to demonstrate that in fact 50 per cent of our population is female and should therefore also be represented at traffic lights." Martine Letts
"There are many small — but symbolically significant — ways that women are excluded from public space." Fiona Richardson
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Photograph via RTE

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