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Australian PM’s department removes ‘phallic’ Women’s Network logo after public backlash
Women’s group and social media users complained that the logo resembled male genitalia. ― Picture via Twitter
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KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 ― Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office has come under fire for a women’s network logo that was ridiculed for its phallic shape.
The problematic logo which was designed by the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) department to promote gender equality has since been taken down.
PM&C issued a statement saying that the logo had been removed from the department’s website “pending consultation with staff”.
The logo featured a cursive ‘W’ with a protruded dome that women’s groups and social media users say resembled male genitalia after it was shared to Twitter on Sunday.
Why have the juvenile idiots in your department made male genitalia out of the Women's Network logo?How hilarious. Let's degrade women. Again.Anybody who understands graphic design knows this is deliberate.Anybody who didn't catch this isn't doing their job.. pic.twitter.com/OqZSMvw1QR
— RonniSalt (@RonniSalt) March 13, 2022“I really thought this logo for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinets women’s network was fake but uh.. do they know?” a Twitter user added.
Yes @JaneCaro this PM&C “Women’s Network” logo looks like a cock & balls. It satirises what all women and men of goodwill are trying to achieve: the empowerment of women, equal rights and an end to a culture of violence, sexual assault and misogyny. pic.twitter.com/ejzgjgQDAc
— Quentin Dempster (@QuentinDempster) March 13, 2022
I thought this was satire, but it is either thoughtless or an insult. Public money was spent getting a graphic artist, choosing the designing, selecting colours, approving, printing and publishing this logo for the Prime Minister's and Cabinet's Women's Network.Poor messaging. pic.twitter.com/jDYKNdMCkg
— National Older Women's Network Australia (@OlderWomenNetAu) March 13, 2022A PM&C spokesperson told news.com.au that the department first rebranded the “staff diversity networks” of which the Women’s Network is under in 2019 to “establish a consistent look and feel”.
“The Women’s Network logo retained a ‘W’ icon which staff had been using for a number of years,” they added.
“The rebrand was completed internally, using existing resources, and designs were consulted on widely. No external providers were engaged for this work.”
The spokesperson added that Morrison and the Prime Minister’s Officer were not involved in the logo design.
The Women’s Network Australia (WNA) which has been supporting women in business for over three decades called for the logo’s removal yesterday, saying that it might confuse the PM&C’s Network with theirs, especially after public outcry over its unfortunate design.
“WNA is in no way affiliated or associated with ‘The Women’s Network’ being promoted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, or the logo for this group, which has attracted criticism,” a WNA spokeswoman told news.com.au.
The logo comes at a time when the Morrison government is facing criticism for its handling of women’s issues that was brought to the surface last year.
In early 2021, the then attorney general Christian Porter was plagued with a historical rape allegation involving a 16-year-old girl whom he met in 1988, long before he entered politics.
Just this month, former Australian of the year Grace Tame and ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins launched a fresh call for the Morrison government to carry out significant policies to protect women and children from violence, harassment and discrimination.
Tame is activist and advocate for survivors of child sexual assault while Higgins alleged that she had been raped by a male colleague in Parliament House.
Last month, Morrison and other political leaders made a formal apology for the sexual misconduct that occurred in parliament workplaces.