Move over Jacinda Ardern. A proactive seven-year-old girl has convinced transport authorities in New Zealand to replace its "sexist" roads across the country.
The New Zealand Transport Agency will replace signs that say “Linemen” to “Line Crew” after Wellington student Zoe Carew wrote a letter to authorities pointing out that “women can be line-workers too".
"I don't really want to be a line-worker when I grow up because there are so many more exciting things I would like to do, but some girls might want to learn to be a linewomen," she wrote.
The young girl was prompted to write the letter in June after she had passed a "linemen" warning sign while driving to her grandparents' place in Eastbourne, a suburb of Lower Hutt city in the southern North Island.
"I think that sign is wrong and unfair. Do you agree?" she asked the NZTA.
The agency's chief executive, Fergus Gammie, has since replied, agreeing on Tuesday to change the signs.
The agency would change its specification to read "line crew," because Zoe's suggestion of "line-workers" was too long to fit, he wrote in reply,
"I commend you for your suggestion and for taking action where you think something unfair should be fixed," he said, also offering to have a photo of Zoe taken with the new signs.
"The Transport Agency likes your idea."
Zoe's mum praised the decision by the NZTA and shared her pride in her daughter via Twitter.
The change, however, will be gradual.
The NZTA says the signs are quite common across the country and will be replaced as the old ones are worn out, meaning it could take some time.
