Chris Hipkins rails against 'sexist' Te Papa toilet sign

Museums are supposed to preserve the past, but Chris Hipkins doesn't think that should extend to the toilets.

The Education Minister posted a photo to Twitter on Thursday which showed the door to the women's toilets at Te Papa Museum in Wellington. The same door featured the sign for the parents' room where people can use baby changing tables.

Mr Hipkins wasn't impressed by what he saw as a subtle form of sexism - including a parent's room as part of the women's bathroom but not the men's.

"Hey Te Papa, I know you're a museum and all that but in the 21st century men change nappies too!" the Rimutaka MP wrote on Twitter.

Unfairly gendered parenting is an issue close to Mr Hipkins' heart.

The 40-year-old took an extended paternity leave of three weeks after the birth of his second child last year, and is believed to be the first male Cabinet Minister to do so.

He's campaigned extensively for change tables to be made equally accessible to mothers and fathers since he was a student at Victoria University, as Wellington Labour Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons reminisced in a reply to his tweet with the hashtag #parentfriendlycity.

Te Papa's official account also replied to his tweet, acknowledging that the sign "needs updating". It says all of its parent's rooms are unisex and provided directions to them.

"Congrats on the new arrival," it added.

Newshub.