Women in STEM: Looking back to move forward
- International artist Lidia Cao has painted a 48-square-metre mural paying tribute to Dorothy Levitt, the inventor of the rear-view mirror, in the SEAT & CUPRA Martorell plant
- This is a collaboration between SEAT & CUPRA and the Universitat Politència de València as part of their 'Dones de Ciència' project, which already features 49 murals of women in STEM fields
- Raising awareness of the role of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is essential to inspire new generations and promote equality
It seems like a normal day at the SEAT & CUPRA plant in Martorell. The assembly personnel have finished their shift, left the workshops and are making their way to the exit, chatting casually about their day. But this time something makes them stop and take a few seconds to admire the view. High above, on the wall of the elevated corridor where the car bodies travel from the Paint Workshop to the Assembly Workshop 8, where the rear-view mirrors of the company's models are fitted among other operations, is the image of a woman looking back at them in a mirror. The mural is part of the 'Dones de Ciència' ('Women in Science') project, promoted by the Universitat Politècnica de València to inspire new generations and remind them that science also has the face of a woman. "Who is she?" they wonder. They’re about to discover her name, and her story.
GETTING TO KNOW DOROTHY
Dorothy Levitt (1882-1922) was a British racing driver, journalist and author who was a pioneer in the automotive world, to which she contributed as the forerunner of one of the most important active safety features in cars which is still in use today: the rear-view mirror. Nicknamed the 'Fastest Girl on Earth', she broke speed records in various competitions and was a fierce advocate for women's right to drive. At a time when prejudice kept women away from the wheel, she taught them how to use it. Her idea to use a small hand mirror to keep an eye on the traffic coming up behind was initially dismissed by her contemporaries and her name silenced. More than a century later, this mural ultimately seeks to recognise her contribution and highlight her as an example, along with many other women who have participated in the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
WHEN ART AND STEM GO HAND IN HAND
'Dones de Ciència' features 49 murals paying tribute to women in STEM, painted by female artists, most located in educational centres in the province of València. "This initiative, a first in Spain, rose from the conviction that there can be no true scientific education without equality, nor equality without visibility" explains Luis Zurano, head of scientific communication and outreach at the Universitat Politècnica de València.
Silvia Diez, coordinator of the CUPRA Tavascan project, and Elisabet Agea, coordinator of the SEAT Ibiza & Arona project, are co-authors of the book Historias inspiradoras de las pioneras de los coches ('Inspiring Stories of women car pioneers') and the two people responsible for the collaboration between the university and the company. "They contacted us following the launch of our book, told us about their project and we said: why don’t we paint a mural at the Martorell plant?" recalls Agea.
there can be no true scientific education without equality, nor equality without visibility
"This mural is the result of the combination of a major UPV project with a clear focus on diversity, the talent of Lidia Cao and the determination of SEAT & CUPRA to highlight the role women play in the automotive world" says Laura Carnicero, SEAT & CUPRA Vice-President for People and Organization. "With this work of art on the wall of one of our workshops, in an area that is clearly visible to thousands of our team members every day, we will always remember that a woman, Dorothy Levitt, improved our daily lives with the invention of the rear-view mirror" she adds.
A REAR-VIEW MIRROR THAT LOOKS AHEAD
Mural artist Lidia Cao was commissioned to paint this 48-square-metre portrait, working on a scissor-lift platform and using dozens of cans of spray paint. According to Cao, "the mural symbolises the gesture of looking back in order to move forward; the rear-view mirror becomes a threshold between what has been experienced and what is to come." In this sense, "it’s vital to talk about pioneering women in STEM, and I’m proud to be able to do so through art, and put my creativity to depict Dorothy’s creation" she says. "It’s an honour to have a mural here in the plant painted by an internationally renowned artist like Lidia, whose work can be seen all around the world" Diez beams.
INSPIRING ROLE MODELS
According to the United Nations, by 2050, 75% of jobs will be linked to STEM fields. Therefore, in order to move towards an increasingly technical future, it’s essential to make today’s women in STEM visible while also remembering those who weren’t recognised in their day and who history has erased. "This is the highest tribute we could pay to Dorothy and all women in the automotive industry like us, while inspiring girls to follow STEM careers" says Diez. Although they both admit that there’s still a long way to go. "It’s a rocky road, as can be seen in the mural, but that doesn’t mean we should stop travelling it. Rather, it should motivate us to keep going, and remember those who made it possible for us to be here today" Agea concludes.
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