Do women also work on construction sites? And do girls sometimes play football? For sure! But then they would not have to on the appropriate street signs?
A seven-year-old girl from New Zealand recently hit the headlines. Zoe was visiting her grandparents near Wellington when she noticed a traffic sign that somehow seemed unfair to her. On the sign, which was to warn of line work, stood in large letters linemen , too German: line fitter. Strange. What if women were working on the power lines, Zoe thought.
A corresponding sign did not exist. Zoe therefore decided to write a letter to the director of the New Zealand Transport Agency. “Why does the sign say ‘line mechanics’ when people working on the lines could be both men and women? I think the sign is wrong and unfair. Do you think so? “Is there.
Zoe’s letter was successful. Managing Director Fergus Gammie announced to change the street signs. In the future, then the gender-equitable designation line crew should be read on it.
Diversity on german road signs
In order to break up our thinking about gender roles, ze.tt has taken a close look at the German traffic signs. Yes, the characters on most signs could be gender neutral. There are no features that assign these figures to a unique gender. But do not we still mostly see men on it? In our heads it is a male on the construction site sign shoveling sand, a motorcyclist on the prohibition sign, a boy behind a ball. Not for nothing does the Berlin Ampelmännchen bear his name.
Zoe had recognized it correctly. All people can work on construction sites or ride a motorcycle, right? In order for diversity to become more prominent in our everyday lives and to be represented in the world of figurative pictograms, we have first of all designed road signs with female lead roles. Simply, to raise awareness that the rules and commands, warning and warning signs, in short, all the signage that governs our lives every day, are also part of the lives of all human beings. Because only visibility can create rethinking.
Of course it would be natural for us, if all people could find themselves in the traffic signs.