Portuguese 
Spanish 
Discover the story of Aline Ferro, the engineer daughter of a mechanic who overcame prejudices and started her own automotive business in the Agreste of Alagoas.
A routine surrounded by 15 siblings, heavy tools, and grease in her father José Petrúcio Correia’s mechanical workshop in Campo Alegre (AL) shaped Aline Ferro’s childhood. Today, at 38 years old, the mechanical engineer runs her own business, Ferro Automotive Workshop, located in Arapiraca, in the Agreste of Alagoas.
The decision to open her own establishment occurred a few months ago, after receiving institutional support from Sebrae to formalize and identify a great market opportunity during a corporate trip. Being a mechanic’s daughter, she had to break cultural barriers and overcome her family’s initial disapproval to become a symbol of female representation in the regional automotive sector.
Discover the story of Aline, the mechanic’s daughter
The initial plans structured for Aline’s future were very different from the reality of a vehicle maintenance yard. Upon completing high school, she was accepted into law school, which represented the fulfillment of a great dream for her father, who wanted a less strenuous career for her.
-
Brazilian Sisters, Aged 103, 104, and 109, Set Guinness World Record as Oldest Sibling Trio, Totaling 316 Years; Attract Scientific Interest for Longevity DNA Study
-
14-Year-Old Australian Entrepreneur Goes Viral After Y Combinator Rejection, Runs Two Startups Including an AI Company After Sock Business Failure
-
100-Year-Old Brazilian Sets World Record by Swimming 50 Meters in 1 Minute and 9 Seconds, Inspired by Tarzan Films
-
Brazil Introduces New Digital ID with Home Delivery, Linked to Unique Tax Number, Amidst Nationwide Notification Campaign.
The definitive change of course happened during a 15-day vacation in Rio de Janeiro, where her older brother suggested she take the entrance exam for Mechanical Engineering. After passing the exam, she decided to communicate the decision by phone, which caused deep frustration in José Petrúcio.
The discontent led the elderly man to ignore and refuse to speak with his daughter throughout the four years of college, from 2012 to 2017. With the unwavering support of her mother, her boyfriend — who later became her husband — and her siblings, Aline completed her degree.
Family peace was remarkably sealed when her father appeared by surprise at her graduation celebration.
The professional dynamics of Aline’s large family have always been centered around the patriarch’s mechanical workshop, which provided for the household, leading almost everyone to follow the same field, except for five heirs:
- A professional in the sewing sector.
- A member of the Military Police force.
- A worker in the transportation area (driver).
- A housewife.
- A mental health specialist (psychologist).
Technical Resistance Against Gender Prejudice
After the academic period, Aline obtained a master’s degree in the field and even taught Mechanical Engineering at a college in the capital, Maceió.
However, her true passion was in the practical work of the automotive yard. In 2021, after giving birth to her first child, she started working in a space provided within her brother’s workshop in Campo Alegre.
In this place, she faced direct episodes of discrimination. In one instance, a customer refused to let her change the engine mount of his vehicle upon realizing she was a woman, being confronted by the engineer’s brother, who refused to do the service in her place.
In another situation, an auto parts seller tried to belittle Aline’s technical knowledge by delivering wrong components, only backing down when she used a caliper to measure and demonstrate the error.
The confidence to work equally came from her brothers’ support and the use of new technologies that mitigate the requirement for physical strength. As the professional explained in an interview about female participation in the field:
“Many men don’t believe that we are capable of doing the same services they do because it’s heavy work, but the only difference is physical strength. However, today there are tools and equipment that reduce physical effort and allow us to work equally.”
Female Support Network and the Directions of the New Workshop
The experience accumulated with these barriers motivated the mechanic’s daughter to join the project “Elas no Volante,” an initiative developed by Sebrae in 2024.
The group serves as a support point and brings together more than 40 women working in the automotive segment in Agreste, Alagoas, promoting new rounds of training and sharing experiences throughout this year of 2026.
The relevance of this union space was detailed by Stheffany Lóz, a trainee at the institution and program manager:
“Women Behind the Wheel was created when we realized that the automotive sector also includes women and that they need to have a voice. For the first time, they had their concerns heard, because it’s not easy to work in a predominantly female environment surrounded by stereotypes.”
The final spark for opening Ferro Automotive Workshop in Arapiraca came in June, when a psychologist on the bus caravan heading to the Alagoas Summit event asked Aline why she traveled daily to Campo Alegre instead of setting up her structure in the city where she lived. Convinced, she joined forces with her husband and brother to raise the pillars of the new building.
The crowning of this successful journey comes from her own father, José Petrúcio: at 82 years old, the elderly man became a great workshop partner, lovingly helping his engineer daughter in the restoration of classic cars, such as Kombis and Beetles.
With information from Revista PEGN
