Women with the towpath pulling the boats. It was a fairly common use during the nineteenth century in the Basque country. Initially, this employment was prohibited to women for the great effort required. However, due to the Carlist Wars the majority of men had to leave and were the women who went on to carry out this work. Sirguera or sirgueras ( towpath and the suffix - was ) they were the women pulling boats through a towpath, cavo employee to pull boats from the ground. Director Fernando Bernal premiered a film in 2006 with the title of Zirgariak.
The sirgueras were those big women Basque that to end of the century 19th pulling of them boats from land firm. For many years did not recognize them or was assessed its work until the city of Bilbao, in the area of Bilbao Olabeaga, paid tribute to these brave women, recognized them their value and efforts with a commemorative plaque.
