An official federal government logo championing equal opportunity for women has been removed from a department’s website after it was slammed for its “phallic” shape.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) was lambasted on social media on Monday when users noticed the Women’s Network logo on the site resembled male genitalia.

The department was forced to take action later on Monday, subsequently removing the logo from the PM&C website.

Federal Independent MP Zali Steggall, Greens Senator Larissa Waters and women’s advocacy groups were among the cohort of Australians who criticised the graphic design disaster.

Tweet from @Women4Aus

Ms Steggall called the logo the “worst marketing effort” since the government’s milkshake consent education video from April last year.

“It beggars belief… you can’t unsee it!” She said.

Meanwhile, advocacy group Women for Australia tweeted that the logo looked “a little phallic”.

“You couldn’t write this!” it said.

Senator Waters called the government’s logo “pathetic and juvenile, but completely to be expected from this toxic boys’ club of a government”.

“Sure, it’s just a logo, but if you needed a visual representation of just how completely out of touch the PM is with Australian women you honestly couldn’t do any better,” Senator Waters said on Instagram.

The PM&C responded to the backlash on Monday, stating the Women’s Network logo had been scrubbed.

“The logo has been removed from the department’s website, pending consultation with staff,” PM&C said in a statement.

The government said the network had been rebranded in 2019 to establish a “consistent look and feel”.

PM&C said said the “W” in the Women’s Network logo had been used by staff “for a number of years”

“The Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office were not part of this logo design,” it said.

According to the department’s website, “the Women’s Network champions equal opportunity on behalf of its members and is an inclusive, volunteer-based organisation built by members, for members.”

“The Women’s Network assists PM&C in enabling cultural change aspirations expressed in the Department’s 100–1000 day plan for transformational change by helping implement PM&C’s Gender Equality Action Plan and Embracing Inclusion and Diversity Program,” it reads.