Quebec mechanic seeks to empower women by teaching them how to care for their cars

A Chicoutimi woman is travelling across the province in an effort to drive more women to learn something she thinks everyone should know — basic auto mechanic skills.

Annie Barrette is an electrician and millwright by trade, and she holds mechanic workshops for women.

“I wanted to empower women to make them [aware] that they can do it as much as anyone else,” Barrette said.

Part of that is making sure women know when they need to fix something on their cars, and when a mechanic might be overcharging them.

“I think the fun thing is to make [clear] to women that they actually know more than they think,” Barrette said.

She held one of her workshops in Sherbrooke on Saturday. One of the participants, Alicia Cleaver, purchased her first car last fall.

“If I have a car, I want to be able to take care of it,” Cleaver said.

At the workshop, she learned basic theory on how a motor works and how to access the car’s manual.

Then, Barrette showed participants how to boost a car’s battery, change tires and perform an oil change.