Ten traffic signals in an Australian city now have images of red and green people in dresses. The signals are part of a trial gender equality campaign. The Minister for Women said trial was to increase the number of images of women in public places. She said: "There are many small, but symbolically significant ways that women are excluded from public space." She wants the city's signals to have equal numbers of male and female figures.
There has been a mixed response to the signals. Critics call them unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers' money. The city mayor said: "I'm all for doing anything we can for gender equity, but…this sort of costly exercise is more likely to bring [ridicule]." Others said it was political correctness gone wrong. Social media users asked why the female image has a dress, when many women wear trousers. Others said the money should have helped people in need.