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In the present day, many speak about the fact that a woman cannot hold certain jobs.
Attributing this to the famous badly coined term, ?the weaker sex?.
However, Juana Romero does not understand this and in her horse-drawn
carriage has found a way to earn a living in the city of Guantanamo.
It is my understanding that you are the only female
carriage driver here in Guantanamo. Right?
Yes.
And why is that?
Well, because the others, I do not know.
Maybe it is because they do not like driving a carriage
like this, but I like to ride in my carriage.
With more than twenty years of working,
Juana performs with the same ability as any male.
I had a job for ten years and from there, I left it.
I was working for the state.
They closed the center and I returned again to driving a carriage.
You worked for the state before being a carriage driver?
No. First I was a carriage driver in Via Carbon
and then from there I returned to being a carriage driver.
So, I went and got the permit.
Against all barriers, Juana has had to face the prejudices from the opposite sex.
Do you know what your colleagues, neighbors opine about your job, about your work?
Well, with everyone, good. They do not criticize me. Nothing.
The only lack of respect that there is here are from the male
carriage drivers who do not respect me as the only female carriage driver.
They treat me with disrespect.
On the other hand, the people praise her as comfort.
She is doing something that is normal for all human beings.
Working and earning an honest living as a human being; as a person. Right?
To be able to support herself as much as her family.
Oh, women can do, can work in anything.
What do you think of her as a carriage driver? About the job?
Do you think for women as well?
Yes.
What do you think of Juana as a carriage driver?
She is a good person.
And as a carriage driver, her job?
Special.
The challenge of going to work every day in her carriage is for Juana,
the motivation to be a woman who fights in life against all of the prejudices.
I wake up early in the morning. First, I make coffee and drink it.
Then, I clean up after my horse. I take him out to pasture to eat.
I take him to the river to bathe him.
After I bathe him, and everything is ready and the harness is on,
I hook him up and leave for work.
I chose the life of driving a carriage because, well, I like driving a carriage.
I like horses.
Also, since I did not study to have another career, I thought that I could do this.
I drive the carriage well.
Do you have a message you would like to send to other women?
I have told them. Save, save so they can have their own carriage.
Fill yourself with courage. This is not so bad.
Only learn the traffic and how to drive the carriage.
Reported from the city of Guantanamo, by Anderlay Guerra Blanco.