Diaper changing - a political act?

Changing a diaper in a public place is always a fun undertaking. Be it a car seat (car stopped, of course), a lurching train, a shaking airplane, or just a dirty public restroom, I've done it all. I've noticed, over the years, that the symbol for a changing pad/area/room can vary. See below.

Image 1:

Image 2:

I apologize for the low quality of the photos (one taken in an airplane and the other in a train), but they raise interesting questions: does it matter who's changing the diaper? Should I be offended when I see the figure of a woman (Scotts notwisthstanding) used to depict this activity? Is it preferable to use the more gender-neutral figure wearing trousers?


Here are some answers:
1) as a man of Western culture, I find it regressive, more than offensive, that the act of changing diapers, and by extension of caring for children, should be seen as the purview of women alone. Not only does it confine women in their role as mothers, but it denies the fact that many men want to and can take care of children just as well as any woman. Signs as the one shown in Image 1 reinforce gender-stereotypical child caring roles to the detriment of both men and women, and of equality.

2) In a culture where women cannot or do not wear trousers, Image 2 raises the issue in the other direction... Are men then the only ones who can change a diaper? One could surmise that a culture barring women from wearing trouses would frown on men's changing of diapers. However, I can't be sure of that, so the issue will have to remain unresolved. In addition, the notion of what constitutes a gender-neutral figure is clearly more complex than meets the eye.