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"  Photo: Getty Images There is a French saying that goes &amp;quot;Femme au volant, la mort au tournament&amp;quot; which loosely translates to &amp;quot;When a woman is behind the wheel, death is round the corner.&amp;quot; It&amp;#039;s telling about how women behind the wheel are perceived in France, which is to say that they&amp;#039;re reputation reflects the local stereotype that women are poor drivers and generally know nothing about cars.  Tucked away in the suburbs of Paris, brand new women-only garage Only Girls aims to shatter those stereotypes\u2014and offer women fair quotes free of sexist overtones. Run by a man, but with a female staff and women-only customer base, the shop is designed to &amp;quot;make women feel comfortable and empowered.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;[Customers] are encouraged to watch the mechanic fix the car to understand how the engine works exactly&amp;quot;says founder Laid Hdachi, who says many clients come to him after having being quoted outrageous sums by other garages.  Photo: Getty Images But Only Girls offers more than just tune-ups and oil changes. Inspired by the American service industry, particularly its coffee shops, Hdachi has added an US-style bakery with cappuccinos (which most caf\u00E9s still don&amp;#039;t make), cupcakes, and muffins. In case of lengthy repairs, one can visit the in-house, full-time beauty parlor for a (discount-priced) manicure, eyebrow wax, or massage. There&amp;#039;s also a playroom for children and free wifi (or, as the French pronounce it, &amp;#039;wee-fee&amp;#039;) for workaholics.  &amp;quot;Times have changed and women lead half a dozen lives within a single day: they work, they&amp;#039;re mothers (often raising kids by themselves), and have a desire to look after their appearance,&amp;quot; Hdachi says. &amp;quot;They certainly don&amp;#039;t have time to waste twiddling their thumbs in a garage.&amp;quot;  For Gilles Uzan, founder of arthouse car magazine Garagisme, gender stereotypes are slowly starting to evolve in the industry: &amp;quot;While the business is largely male-run, there is a growing interest and intellectualization around cars, in the engine you drive, its culture and history.&amp;quot;    Photo: Getty Images With its candy-colored website, Hdachi seems to be taking somewhat of a &amp;quot;shrink it and pink it&amp;quot; marketing approach. Still, the gesture of a traditionally male realm reimagined by and for women, is a welcome one.  Related:  Why the Female Graffiti Movement Is About More Than Art  Related: Women in Tech: Where Are We Headed? Related:  I Chose a Career in Fashion Over Getting My PhD  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/news/a24887/girls-only-garage/>