It is a fact that women have joined the roadside assistance sector as one more asset. But raising the profile of their work is very necessary. At REAC, we lead by example.
In a traditionally male-dominated sector such as Roadside Assistance companies, bringing women professionals on board can only add value. This is what is happening at Grúas La Bruja, a company that since 2009 has been working in a sector that used to be "very sexist, there was no place for women", recalls Juan Villodre, the company's founder, from Ciudad Real.
Thinking precisely of the high percentage of women-managed companies that are part of REAC (our Network, of which Villodre is one of the founders), the businessman never ceases to be surprised when a customer is still taken aback at seeing a woman during a roadside assistance call-out. Why?
Admittedly, it is not common. As Lola Lorente Portero, head of Quality and Processes at Grúas La Bruja, puts it: "Sometimes you notice that prejudice, or a misguided protectiveness, but in these cases we use a bit of psychology…", she says. As she points out: "There are more and more women colleagues managing this type of company".
For the visibility of women's work… and something more
Villodre tells us that his company is managed by women in all areas with administrative responsibilities. They also carry out assistance services with tow trucks, or in mobile workshop vehicles.
This is why Villodre came up with the idea of making some of the fleet's tow trucks a showcase. The result: a photo shoot with a message, in which all his female colleagues took part. Lola, Isa Lara Valero and the Villodre Cortijo sisters. An image with a double message, as it is a nod to the breast cancer campaign of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, with which Grúas La Bruja has been collaborating for years.
We need to bear in mind every day that a disease such as breast cancer affects women of all ages. Villodre and his team felt it was fitting to remind us of this. A lovely initiative for all of them, the women who suffer from this harsh disease. Let us remember that World Breast Cancer Day is held every 19 October. And that in Spain alone around 33,307 new breast cancers are diagnosed each year.