Being a woman, especially in the maritime oil and gas environment, has its challenges, but what Daisy had to face to reach this position will surprise you.
Daisy Lima da Silva, 37, never had any family members working on vessels, but she became interested in the Merchant Navy Officers Training School competition, which trains bachelors in nautical sciences – the graduation required for those who want to climb positions in the nautical hierarchy. Today, she is captain of a cargo ship, leading a 19-man crew.
“When I started, there was still a distrust of our ability to carry out the work. We had to work harder than our male colleagues to show our value”, says she, who, three years ago, became the only commander of Aliança Navegação e Logística. Daisy graduated in 2003, in the third class with women at the school. From the same institution, three years earlier, came Hildelene Lobato Bahia, the first commander of the Brazilian Merchant Navy.
Weaker sex?
“Although it was encouraged from the beginning by commanders and co-workers, there were small jokes regarding women's fragility”, she says.
When called to be the first mate (the position below the captain) of a ship specialized in large cargoes, which require care when boarding and disembarking, Daisy felt the stigma of the “weaker sex” firsthand.
“We would carry a load of 340 tons. As soon as I arrived, the commander looked me up and down,” he says.
But it was on this ship that she became commander. “I don't need to be Wonder Woman or the Hulk to play my role, I need to reason with my team on the best strategies for loading the ship, tying, transporting and unloading. We have machinery that does the physical effort.”
When she started working in the area, the commander heard from more experienced friends that they masculinized during work, in order to speak the same language as their subordinates. But she decided to do it differently. “I kept my language, which was always serious. I speak louder when I need to, but I never acted in a masculine way,” she says.
The emotional part is a challenge for everyone who is on board for 56 days, as is the case with Daisy. “With us, you don't have to get bored at work, go back home and cool off. We have to resolve our issues right there,” she says. Universal Source
