Australian government draws flak over Women's Month logo fail
A logo for a “Women’s Network” campaign introduced by an Australian government office has drawn the ire of netizens after its shape was called out for resembling male genitalia.
Presented by the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM&C), a team that supports the Prime Minister, Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers, and Assistant Ministers of the Australian government, the logo itself shows a "W" and a thick purple line at the end of it.
I really thought this logo for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinets womens network was fake but uh.. do they know?https://t.co/d4qCybvVFV pic.twitter.com/x2YwQ4g4zT
— FuckingKangaroos (@FckingKangaroos) March 12, 2022
No less than 24 hours after revealing the logo, all traces of it have been removed on the PM&C's website and social media accounts.
Netizens have since poked fun at or responded negatively to the design choice. While some chose to point out the design, others saw it as a deliberate move from graphic designers during Women's Month.
"Why have the juvenile idiots in your department made male genitalia out of the Women's Network logo? How hilarious," one Twitter user shared.
"Let's degrade women. Again. Anybody who understands graphic design knows this is deliberate."
Why have the juvenile idiots in your department made male genitalia out of the Women's Network logo?
— RonniSalt (@RonniSalt) March 13, 2022
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
"Why have you chosen to trivialise insult and demean your so called 'Women's Network' with this phallic, male focussed logo?" another inquired.
@pmc_gov_au why have you chosen to trivialise insult and demean your so called "Women's Network" (and thereby the women in this country who you need to vote for you) with this phallic, male focussed logo? pic.twitter.com/HsZWHNT4N2
— Nonna Lyn 🖤💛❤️✳️✳️✳️ (@LynFletcher1) March 14, 2022
Meanwhile, others have provided answers to the questionable design, pointing out that the new addition simply follows the style of other PM&C campaign logos and was likely approved at a rushed pace.
2. Whoever designed this “Women’s Network” Logo looks like they had to keep it the same shape as 5 other logos for consistency. My experience tells me they probably a limited amount of time to design all of them as well. pic.twitter.com/9EhEHKfok0
— JenBNE (@BneJen) March 14, 2022
Another user suggested that the tampon might have been the initial idea for the logo, but was clearly lost in translation once rendered.
What is this logo ⬇️ representing? It’s for PMC’s Women’s Network.
— m. barnes (@mbarnes49021432) March 14, 2022
Some say “balls & dick”, another said a “tampon”.
@TamePunk #misogyny #LNPDisgrace #LnpFail #auspol #ScottyFromMarketing #marketing #scotty #CallTheElectionDickhead https://t.co/aZMa96fhW1
According to the PM&C, "Women's Network" is one of their efforts to promote gender equality for the country.
"The PM&C champions equal opportunity on behalf of its members and is an inclusive, volunteer-based organisation built by members, for members," their website reads.
"The network is supported by a Gender Executive Champion. The Women’s Network assists PM&C in enabling cultural change aspirations expressed in the Department’s 100–1000 day plan for transformational change by helping implement PM&C’s Gender Equality Action Plan and Embracing Inclusion and Diversity Program."
The PM&C has yet to issue a statement on the matter.