It is not as simple as you put because the decision was not technical, it was political/ideological. To discuss its technical relevance is meaningless; everybod

It is not as simple as you put because the decision was not technical, it was political/ideological. To discuss its technical relevance is meaningless; everybody knows the image is bad and should not be used in 2024. The fact that it is still used is a testament to the deplorable situation of academia itself, but has nothing to do with this ban. They banned it because (a few, very loud) women felt uncomfortable about it and decided to turn it into a crusade. And IEEE (as with most other organizations nowadays) are rightfully scared to make a fuss over something so small and petty. It's a small, almost meaningless loss for the IEEE, and a big meaningful win for those who actually care about something like this. And so it goes, little by little, they win.