The Government Delegation in the Canary Islands today celebrated the Behind the Wheel conference with a gender perspective, organized in collaboration with the International Association of Professionals for Road Safety (AIPSEV) within the framework of the commemorative activities of the 8M, International Women's Day.
The Subdelegate of the Government in Las Palmas, Teresa Mayans, has inaugurated the day, accompanied by the provincial head of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in Las Palmas, Eva Canitrot, and by the journalist Bernardo Hernández, member of the AIPSEV and who was director of the program “Road Safety” of Televisión Española from 1990 to 2006.
“The objective of this initiative is to make women visible in another area in which they are gaining more and more presence, such as the professions related to the motor world. We continue to work to break down all those stereotypes that raise barriers to equality and among them we find those related to the driving of vehicles. Now that we are going to commemorate International Women’s Day it was important to celebrate their presence, our presence, also in this area, to celebrate that we continue to break down barriers,” says Teresa Mayans.
“This day will show that women are also present in the field of the engine, in a very relevant way, from positions of responsibility to the work on the piste on our roads. The women are also drivers of buses, we check the condition of the vehicles in the inspections and we drive trucks. And in the same way we work for the road safety of everyone from the Traffic Headquarters, as our provincial head of the DGT is a good example”, he adds.
In recent years, important advances have been made in terms of women and driving, with the number of female drivers increasing considerably in Spain in recent years.
According to data from the General Directorate of Traffic of the Ministry of the Interior, in 1990 women accounted for 29% of the census of drivers, a percentage that has gradually increased to currently account for approximately 43% of the census.
During the day, speakers were Sara Soto, crane and truck driver, and Sonia Cabrera, bus driver for the transport company Global, who shared their personal and work experience in areas where the male presence remains the majority.