Young woman from Goiás transforms insecurity into a national women’s movement about cars

For decades, the automotive universe was treated as a male territory. The reflection of this appears in workshops, in inflated budgets and in technical explanations that many women hear without understanding or without having the courage to question. Although they represent 36.2% of licensed drivers in Brazil, around 30.9 million drivers, they are still the most vulnerable when it comes to mechanics. It was against this scenario that a young woman from Goiás decided to accelerate. Until a few years ago, Vittória Gabriela was just another insecure driver faced with a light on the dashboard or a strange noise from the engine. Today, at 29, she leads the largest digital community in the country dedicated to teaching women how to handle their own cars and is preparing the launch of a free app scheduled for the first half of 2026.

“When I moved to Brasília to study Aerospace Engineering, any problem with the car would make me desperate. I would call my father or look for a male figure. It was insecurity, loneliness and the constant feeling that I shouldn’t be there asking”, he recalls. Personal experience was added to reports from friends who felt deceived in auto repair shops. “One of them was suspicious of a budget, asked a cousin to take the same car to the same place, and the value dropped drastically. That revolted me”, he says. It was from this indignation that the “Dona do Meu Destino” project was born, today a community with more than 876 thousand followers on Instagram, 92% of whom are women.

From engineering to the movement for change in their favor

The turning point in Vittória Gabriela’s life happened while still in college, when she joined a student car building project. She was one of the few women in the group and noticed that each question was accompanied by suspicious looks. Still, he insisted. From there, he suggested something simple and disruptive: an event on Women’s Day to teach basic car care. The first edition, held in a park in Brasília, brought together around 200 women. The following year, with support from the local press, the number of registrations jumped to 1,600. “The event started with a conversation, because the hardest thing is fear. Then, each car became a station: changing tires, checking fluids, buying and selling. I learned along with them”, he says.

With the pandemic, the project gained strength in the digital environment. A video explaining how to properly close a car’s hood went viral and reached around 800,000 views. “I think what made everything work out so well is precisely that I didn’t know much at the beginning. I teach what I learned, in the language I would like to have heard”, he says.

Determined to deepen her knowledge, she dropped out of college and studied mechanics, being the only woman in the entire school. “The professor asked me why I was there and this question was not asked of any man. In practical classes, they asked if I was really going to get my hands dirty and years later, already working as a mechanic, I heard direct doubts from clients about my professional capacity. This shows how the prejudice is still structural. Historically, cars have always been seen as a man’s business, but that has to change”, he emphasizes.

Currently, the movement is entering its most ambitious phase with the development of an application that promises to be a kind of “experienced friend in the car”. The platform will bring together a preventive maintenance calendar, service history, cost averages, personalized alerts and a quick diagnostic system for common situations, such as a car that won’t start, lights on the dashboard or unexpected noises. In addition, the app will also guide you on how to act in emergency situations, when to call a tow truck and when it is safe to continue driving. “Our objective is not to replace the mechanic, but to be a previous step, which brings clarity and security”.

According to the expert, many women don’t even know that there is a car maintenance plan, even though it is in the manual and preventive maintenance is, by far, the cheapest resource there is. “Many women call someone asking for help before even calling a tow truck. Information gives them autonomy and reduces the feeling of vulnerability”, she says. The pillars of the project, riding, buying, caring for and repairing, will also be present in the tool, covering everything from fear of driving to choosing the ideal car.”

Car inspection is more than necessary: ​​it saves lives

As mentioned by the specialist, the review is essential and even cheaper when carried out within the correct deadlines. However, with the arrival of the holidays, the number of vehicles looking for mechanics to check essential items increases, as many drivers hit the road. But do you know what to check before leaving the city? The report is by Renata Rode.

*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.