Me, future microra

Sandra Burgos I always dreamed of managing something big.

His father was a banker all his life. She saw him wearing a suit and tie for many years, although she also remembers being in his car, listening Roberto Carlos and he said something like this: “I would love to drive intercity buses , long distances or trucks. When he left the bank, this is what he did: he got his professional license and worked in public transportation for the company. Alsace when the Transantiago has just started.

“Seeing him arrive every day with a happy face motivated me to say: “How nice that my father is making this dream come true!” “, remembers Sandra. But for a long time, this possibility was only a dream for her. “I was thinking about doing it maybe when my kids were older or when I finished my coaching job” account.

The years have passed. Her three children are university students and are about to graduate. She, for her part, left her job in sales last March. He was 43 years old and wanted to continue working. Maybe even take advantage of the opportunity to change fields.

During his research in the town where he lives, Maipú, he ended up finding an ad. It was said that there would be training for women. He said they would get the A3 permit . I’m excited. He had already known how to ride motorcycles for decades. Also private vehicles. Why not become a public transport driver or drive trucks?

“At the time, I didn’t know the details very well, but things worked out so fantastically that I said, ‘I think this is the way to go,’” Sandra says.

And yes, it was like that.

Of the 18,962 drivers public transport in the Metropolitan Region, 1,444 are women (7.6% of the total), according to the latest report on driving personnel submitted by the operating companies to the Ministry of Transport. That’s to say: out of 12 drivers, one is a woman.

Despite this low percentage, this is the highest figure in the history of the system. In 2014, women made up just 1.5% of all drivers; in 2016, 2.6%; in 2018, 5.2%, while in 2021 they reached 5.7%.

How to get more women to enter a masculinized field is a question that different organizations have asked themselves.

With this desire, a pilot plan was born this year by the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of Women (PRODEMU) in collaboration with the Municipality of Maipú, the Directorate of Metropolitan Public Transport (DTPM), the transport company VULE and OTEC Cefec Chile. . The idea was to enter into this alliance between public and private organizations to train 20 women as bus drivers and thus have a positive impact on gender equality and strengthen women’s interest in being part of the transport industry .

They began to spread the initiative.

This is how Sandra began her training. And also Mónica Hernández.

-My name is Monique Hernández , I am 54 years old, I am married, I have two adult daughters and I am happy with my family. I will now begin the section of “driver” as my daughter says – she said laughing.

Before retraining, Mónica worked in the beauty department of a shopping center, until she was laid off in 2017. After that, she decided to become a collector . She remembers very well what she said, jokingly, to anyone who would listen. “If I can handle this, I’ll drive a bus.”

When she found out the classes were micrera, she didn’t think twice. There she met Sandra and 18 other women who met the conditions: living in Maipú, being head of household, having a B permit for more than two years, among others.

During the month of August, the 20 women were trained to obtain their class A3 license, an essential condition for working as bus drivers in the RED system. In addition, they participated in the PRODEMU workshops on gender perspective, during which topics such as human rights, sustainable development, soft skills and gender and work awareness were discussed.

“The objective of this minibus driver training is not only to offer these women a job allowing them economic autonomy, but also break stereotypes and demasculinize jobs which are historically associated with men,” he says. Cristina Martín Sáez, National Executive Director of PRODEMU . “We believe that in this way we are building a much more fair and egalitarian perspective and society, in which women and men, as well as boys and girls growing up, can understand that there is no reserved type of work for men or reserved for men. women,” he adds.

During this process, the women were also able to get to know each other. “It was super nice, because there were some who were mothers of two, three, four children and who nevertheless gave everything to do this training and be able to integrate this field. I really admire them and I always told them that, because they are little girls who do a lot of things at the same time,” Monica remembers.

Sandra agrees and emphasizes the brotherhood of the group: “We were different ages, ethnicities and cultures. And we all went on a campaign together to study. There were those who had not studied further since school and we were all there to support them. It moved us all forward together and no one was left behind. We said to ourselves ‘we’re going to do well girls, let’s concentrate.’

They are not the only ones who have learned. During the training, they said, companies also realized that women took better care of machines, formed work groups with less friction and had good emotional control in dealing with others. “There were a lot of positive things happening and people in the industry started to realize that having women made the work environment a lot better” said Sandra.

At the end of August, the 20 women from Maipú have completed their training. During the certification ceremony, it was Sandra’s turn to be the closing speaker. And his father accompanied him.

“Forget the pride he had in seeing me there, following in his footsteps! she said, excited. “He said to me: ‘It’s good that in this thing that has always fascinated me, you also saw a career possibility, my daughter!’ “He is very proud of what I accomplished during this period,” he adds.

After obtaining their license, workshop participants will be able to access employment contracts with the company SEEN THE , which has seven terminals in the municipality of Maipú. The idea is that women learn the routes of their own commune, transporting their neighbors at flexible times, from the time the route starts at four in the morning until it ends at one.

“You might have to work for a while in the morning, you do your business and come back in the afternoon. » . And if you want, you can work overtime to increase your income. This is extremely important, because everything “Women are here so that we are not financially dependent on anyone else. » said Sandra.

This independence, he adds Cristina Martin Saez , contributes to the fact that the family, the children, can often escape the circles of poverty, violence or any gap of social inequality. “This is essential to becoming a much more just and equitable society,” he says.

– And notice that what we say comes true! Remember how I said if I could be a bus driver, I would be able to drive a bus? –Mónica comments on the phone a few hours before going to sign her contract to become a micrera.

“I now expect to do extremely well, have great days at work and participate with my colleagues. Let them look at me on the bus and say “Neighbor, it’s you!” “I’m happy, I think it’s going to be great,” he adds.

“For some it’s about winning an Olympic medal, for others it’s about becoming a NASA astronaut , but such small things can make you change the perception of your own life, whatever it may be. And for me, that’s it,” concludes Sandra.

All the drivers signed their contract with VULE buses this week. They will start roaming the streets of Maipú from Tuesday October 3. . They are surely counting the days for that.