UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations celebrated Wonder Woman’s 75th birthday on Friday by naming the comic book character as its new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Woman and Girls, despite frustration from both inside and outside the world organization that the spot should go to a real — and less sexualized — woman.

The carefully choreographed ceremony was marred by some 50 U.N. staffers protesting by the visitors’ entrance to the U.N., who then went inside the Economic and Social Council chamber and silently turned their back to the stage during the opening speech, some with their fists in the air.

U.N. staffer Cass DuRant, who held a sign saying “Real Women Deserve a Real Ambassador,” said the protesters “don’t think that a fictitious comic book character wearing basically what looks like a Playboy-type bunny outfit is really the right message we need to send to girls or even boys for that matter.”

The super heroine’s image will be used by the U.N. on social media platforms to promote women’s empowerment, including on gender-based violence.

By The Associated Press