What we call it a progressive initiative and a step towards greater inclusivity, the civic authority in Mumbai has replaced the male stick figures on traffic lights and signboards into female figures. With this, Mumbai has become the first city in India to introduce female figures on its traffic lights.
The UN Women also acknowledged the move “Here’s #SomeGoodNews! Vertical traffic light Mumbai is changing some of its traffic lights to be gender inclusive” it tweeted.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has changed the red and green signals from the usual stick figures to icons wearing a triangular dress. The female stick figures can be seen on traffic lights and signboards on 120 pedestrian crossings in the Dadar area.
Maharashtra’s environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray also shared photos of the newly-installed signs at the junction in Dadar on Twitter.
“If you have passed by Dadar, you will see something that will make you feel proud. @mybmcWardGN is ensuring gender equality with a simple idea – the signals now have women too,” he tweeted.
According to reports, Mumbai’s civic body will change road signs and pedestrian signals at 13 junctions on Cadell Road, a 4.5-km arterial stretch in Mumbai’s Dadar and Mahim.
This road has Siddhivinayak Temple, Mahim dargah, Mahim church, BR Ambedkar’s memorial Chaityabhoomi and the proposed site for the memorial of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
Other than Mumbai, many cities in Germany and the Netherlands and Switzerland’s Geneva already have female signs on traffic lights. Authorities in Australia’s Melbourne have been using female figures to promote gender equality since 2017.
