Raquel Barrios has joined the iRAP Board bringing youth and social entrepreneurship skills to the charity’s governance.

Based in Madrid, Raquel is the Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) Project Manager leading the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, a support structure that is empowering +650 youth from 99 countries around the world in their road safety and sustainable mobility demands and actions.  She has over 10 years of experience in the international non-profit sector, and has worked with youth and children in topics around poverty, sustainable cities, child rights and equality. Her experience has been focused on creating social impact activities, as well as fundraising with a focus on innovative youth-led initiatives.

She is also experienced in YOURS work as a Lead Partner of the Star Rating for Schools programme creating safer journeys to school for kids worldwide.

On joining the iRAP Board, Raquel said, “I feel beyond excited to take part in the iRAP family. I have always admired the tremendous work that iRAP is doing to save lives on the world’s roads and I truly hope I can bring youth voices, ideas, perspectives and creativity to help iRAP achieve its ambitious goals.”

Raquel was a key driver behind the 2nd World Youth Assembly for Road Safety held on 18 February 2020, an important official side event of the Third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm. The Assembly drew together 160+ youth leaders from 74 countries and resulted in the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety.

iRAP Chair, Gary Liddle said, “Raquel has an established reputation for running non-profit organisations and has a flair for entrepreneurial approaches to tackling global issues impacting youth worldwide.  Her powerful, passionate and influential voice for 3-star or better roads and all youth road safety needs in her speech at the Ministerial Conference remains a shining light of hope and action from the Sweden event.

“As she advocated in her speech, Raquel will now directly help iRAP at Board level to ensure the strategic direction of the charity meets the needs of the youth most impacted by road trauma and ensure our charitable work is always impact-centred,” he said.

Raquel is originally from Nicaragua, where she was the CEO of TECHO, a youth-led NGO focussed on poverty reduction and support for people living in settlements through community development, social action, policy impact and institutional development. Her most recent roles with TECHO before joining YOURS included the establishment of the organizations’ operations in Europe, by developing Strategic Partnerships in different European countries.

Raquel studied International Relations in Costa Rica and an MBA in Entrepreneurship in Spain. Her educational background, combined with field experience in different countries and tackling diverse Sustainable Development Goals, will add value to iRAP strategic decisions.

The iRAP Board and team welcome Raquel and look forward to her expertise shaping the good governance and strategic direction of the charity as we create partnerships for 2030 impact.

For more details on iRAP’s plan for the Second Decade of Action of Road Safety 2021-2030 see here.