The anti-sexism ad being criticised as horribly sexist.

What happens when women enter the workforce? Things fall apart in the domestic sphere, obviously.

A new ad from French broadcaster France 3 about the importance of gender equality is being panned for being incredibly, and rather awkwardly, sexist.

In what is essentially the advertising equivalent of Tony Abbott declaring himself the Minister for Women, the 40-second video — which was intended to run for three weeks — managed to be so offensive it had to be pulled before it even went to air.

In fact, it’s so chock-full of outdated stereotypes about women, it could easily have been concocted by the mind of our former Prime Minister (actually, what has Tones been up to since losing the top job?).

The opening shot is of something burning in the oven. Cookies, probably.

Then there’s the kids’ bedroom; complete disarray, of course.

And then there’s the ironing shot. Because the best thing about being emancipated is that you never have to do the bloody ironing any more.

Even the dog in the ad looks dishevelled and neglected.

Watch the whole thing here (post continues after video):

The ad was intended as a celebration of the large number of female presenters employed by the network — suffice to say, it missed the mark.

The vocalist on the backing track croons: “Where are all the women?” before a missing pair of high-heels and some overlay text declare they are at France 3.

Since premièring on Twitter last week, the ad has been widely derided including by France’s own women’s minister, Pascale Boistard, who tweeted that the video did not seem to be “a good way to highlight professional equality.”

Well no, unless the way to to highlight professional equality is to remind women just how lucky they are to not be home cleaning their toilets or, I guess, by pointing out how utterly ridiculous it is that a workplace employing a high number of women needs an advertising campaign to congratulate them for it.

WELL DONE FRANCE 3, YOU NAILED IT.

Head of the station, Delphine Ernotte (who is the first woman in the role, by the way), did not see the ad before it aired, but a spokesperson said it “was not close to her sensibilities”.

I can imagine not.