Google Accused of Sexism in 'Google Doodles'

slfisher 0 312 Views

What do children's book author Beatrix Potter, painter Mary Cassatt, and artist Frida Kahlo have in common?

According to one , they are the three women -- compared with 109 men -- who have been honored by having a Google logo designed for them that is used on the worldwide Google page.

"With all that feminists need to focus on achieving for women in the world – equal pay for equal rights, bodily autonomy, political representation at all levels, actual recognition of women’s humanity – why waste time on who gets a little drawing on Google?" asks Shelby Knox. "Because we’ve lived with the myth that men created the world and everything good in it for long enough. As long as men get to designate who and what in history is important, young women will continue to learn that all their sex has contributed throughout all of history is their wombs."

Google is particularly important because of how often it is used by students, Knox goes on to say.

The specialty Google logos are called Google Doodles, and Google explains their history. There is also a canonical list of Google Doodles.

Commenters to the blog suggested a number of other women scientists, world leaders, and artists whom they felt Google should consider honoring.

Women aren't alone in feeling slighted; some people, including Barry (who, ironically, is a college classmate of mine) criticize Google for not having a Doodle honoring the U.S. Memorial Day. "Google has a logo “doodle” celebrating everything except what’s truly important, such as Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, or September 11th," he wrote.

While Google doesn't specify why it chooses certain holidays, it does point out "We try to be sensitive that a doodle is not the most appropriate way to recognize certain events, especially those that are more somber in nature."

People can make suggestions for Google Doodles, including their own designs, by submitting them to .

Dani AI

Generated

This thread raises a useful point about how visibility on high-traffic platforms shapes public memory. flagged the gender-balance critique and ’s follow-up about regional doodles (the poppy example) shows how impact can depend on geography. Two practical principles follow: measure the gap you want to change, and make a concrete, easy-to-review proposal rather than only criticizing.

A simple, copy-ready proposal checklist that increases the odds of being taken seriously:

  • Name and one-line description of the person or event.
  • Suggested date and why that date matters (birth/death anniversary, centenary, national celebration).
  • Target scope: global or country-specific and which country/countries.
  • Short educational blurb (2–3 sentences suitable for students).
  • Two or three reliable citations (biographies, archives, museum pages).
  • Artwork brief and file considerations (example styles, permission/rights statement — public domain or licensed).
  • Contact info and a brief note on why this choice broadens representation.

Practical outreach tactics: align proposals with anniversaries and school calendars, package a teacher-friendly activity or fact sheet so Google (and journalists) see classroom value, and coordinate with local museums, historical societies, or Wikimedia editors to raise authoritative coverage. Use a focused list of candidates with clear dates rather than a single broad demand; data-driven, repeatable pitches get attention.

A caution: platforms sometimes avoid somber or controversial commemorations, so frame suggestions around celebration, education, or cultural contribution. If the goal is systemic change, collect examples showing underrepresentation and combine constructive submissions with public outreach — that approach is far more likely to move the needle than complaint alone.

Member Avatar for Emmadw
Emmadw 0 Newbie Poster

I've just had a look at the list of sites, as I was fairly sure that the UK version of Google at least had a poppy on remembrance day - and I see that in 2009, there was both a poppy in the UK & something in the US for veterans day: http://www.google.com/logos/logos09-4.html

Member Avatar for slfisher
slfisher 0 Posting Whiz

So there is. Thanks!

Member Avatar for Emmadw
Emmadw 0 Newbie Poster

Oh, fully agree, by the way, that there needs to be a better gender balance when it comes to people - it was just I'd remembered that poppy!

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