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Elaine McCallig
Mar 14, 2022
American shares things he'd never heard of before moving to Australia
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The logo for an Australian central government agency that champions gender equality has gone viral and we can’t believe it’s real.
People have been pointing out that the logo for the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Women’s Network looks a little… NSFW.
Social media users have pointed out that the graphic looks phallic, while others see a pair of breasts or a tampon in the logo instead.
Given the eggplant emoji is typically used to represent male genitalia over text, the fact the logo is in purple has fanned the flames.
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Some poked fun at the graphic designer’s questionable decisions, while others felt the logo diminished the work of the group.
Look, when I said to the government they should make the women\u2019s network logo a massive throbbing purple penis complete with a set of balls, I absolutely thought they got I was joking— Rhys Nicholson (@Rhys Nicholson) 1647234119
This is the PM&C\u2019s Women\u2019s Network logo. Yep. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet want to promote gender equality with this image pic.twitter.com/b6xJMDb1Rf— Queen Victoria (@Queen Victoria) 1647169390
Either someone has a very dark sense of humour, or\u2026.\n\n(From the PM&C website)pic.twitter.com/Pru8o2a4jy— Amy Remeikis (@Amy Remeikis) 1647153335
Journalist Quentin Dempster said the logo “satirises what all women and men of goodwill are trying to achieve”.
Yes \u2066@JaneCaro\u2069 this PM&C \u201cWomen\u2019s Network\u201d 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 (@Quentin Dempster) 1647213332
Politician Larissa Waters slammed the logo as “pathetic and juvenile”, but “to be expected from this toxic boys’ club of a government”.
“Sure, it’s just a logo, but if you needed a visual representation of just how completely out of touch the PM is with Australian women you honestly couldn’t do any better,” she added.
In a tweet, the National Older Women's Network Australia wrote that “it is either thoughtless or an insult.”
They wrote: “I thought this was satire… 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.”
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.\nPoor messaging.pic.twitter.com/jDYKNdMCkg— National Older Women's Network Australia (@National Older Women's Network Australia) 1647170303
A spokesperson for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet told Indy100: "In 2019, staff at the Department (PM&C) rebranded the staff diversity networks, which includes the Women’s Network, 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.
"The rebrand was completed internally, using existing resources, and designs were consulted on widely. No external providers were engaged for this work.
"The logo has been removed from the department’s website, pending consultation with staff.
"The Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office were not part of this logo design."
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