A Melbourne lobby group is pushing for ‘gender equal’ pedestrian crossing lights to be installed across the entirety of Victoria.
The Committee for Melbourne‘s Equal Crossings campaign kicks off this week, with 10 female crossy ladies installed at the Swanston and Flinders streets intersection in place of the usual crossy men.
The trial will run for 12 months, but organisers are keen to achieve ‘gender equality in pedestrian lights’ across the state.
“Unconscious bias reinforces stereotypes and influences daily decisions and attitudes,” said Committee for Melbourne CEO Martine Letts. “The Equal Crossings initiative will draw our attention to these issues in a practical and positive way.”
Last year, to mark International Women’s Day, it was announced that the little green walky dude at an intersection in Richmond would be replaced by a silhouette of Victoria’s first female councillor, Mary Rogers, for one whole year.
Mary Rogers, apparently, moonlighted as Mary Poppins.
But this latest push wants to replace male pedestrian lights across the state with female ones, keeping the process cost neutral by replacing the lights as they need it.
“I’m all for doing anything we can for gender equity, but really?” he said. “Unfortunately, I think this sort of costly exercise is more likely to bring derision.”
True.
Source: Herald Sun.
Photo: Twitter / Nine News.
