Publication made on 03/14/2023 – 1:00 pm
In March, one of the most important dates in history is celebrated: International Women's Day. A day that, since 1857, has been marked by the struggles of women who claimed their rights for a more just and egalitarian society.
This fight has positive and still unknown consequences: have you ever heard of women working as forklift operators?
The role of forklift operator is predominantly male, but as a woman's place is wherever she wants and we at SuperFrio support diversity, we present in this article the story of our forklift operator.
Discover the story of Elaine Santiago
Elaine Santiago, 35 years old, has been a forklift operator since 2012. In the interview, Elaine told us that her dream started when she worked at another company, in the packing and was enchanted when he saw another woman performing the function.
“I tried my hardest. […] I worked on two treadmills and they saw my effort, gave me the opportunity and asked me to take a course. […] I don’t know if you believe it, I dreamed that I was operating a forklift, I went there and did it the way I dreamed and I was approved.” She also told us that before being approved, she had difficulties in passing the process, but she was persistent, asked for divine help and did not give up on her dream.
Difficulties and resilience
Elaine has been our employee for about five years and has already started working as a forklift operator. During this period, she and her family went through the mourning period due to the death of her father and, therefore, she had to leave the company for a while to help her mother overcome this sad moment, but she had the opportunity to return two years ago.
As we can see, despite the difficulties, Elaine is a strong and fighting woman. In addition to her role here at SuperFrio, she also sometimes works at a buffet on weekends, and she told us that at the beginning of her career as a forklift operator, she suffered a lot of prejudice because she was a woman. “At first they didn't accept me. Lots of fun, you know? It was complicated, but I resisted and here I am.”
Elaine's story is an example of struggle and perseverance, as well as many amazing women. We must support and encourage each other to overcome social barriers and prejudice so that more “Elaines” can also inspire other women and achieve their dreams.
