Profiles in Road Safety Leadership: Gema Granados Hidalgo
GRSLC Alumni Spotlight
Abdul Bachani (JH-IIRU), Becky Bavinger (Bloomberg Philanthropies), Gema Granados (GRSLC alumna), and Britta Lang (GRSP) at Bloomberg Philanthropies' HQ in New York City.
Gema Granados Hidalgo is the Road Safety Program Coordinator at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) in Colombia. With a passion for public health, Gema has been a strong advocate for road safety. After completing the Global Road Safety Leadership Course (GRSLC), Gema felt supported by the training and mentorship she received and energized to think differently about ways to strengthen road safety programs in Colombia.
The GRSLC reinforced her commitment to taking a multidisciplinary approach to advancing road safety initiatives. Her leadership has been crucial in strengthening the coalition of civil society organizations advocating for road safety, promoting policy measures such as vehicle safety, forgiving infrastructure, and the Julián Esteban Law of July 2022, which reduced urban speed limits nationwide in Colombia.
The course also allowed her to delve deeper into the influence of the automotive industry on policymaking. With two other colleagues, she has been leading the organization's industry interference working group, working to identify and counter efforts by the automotive industry. Following the course, together, they created a strategic platform to formally incorporate this element as a cross-cutting focus of the program.
Gema’s participation in the GRSLC expanded her professional network to include a diverse group of professionals from government, academia, civil society, and the international community. These relationships have been invaluable to enhancing the actions of social organizations in Colombia.
Looking ahead, Gema aims to deepen collaboration between social organizations and study the impact of the private sector on public road safety policy decisions. Her dedication continues to make a meaningful impact on road safety efforts globally.