Caixa Construções employees: Much more than the “weaker sex” — these women share their days with flowers and construction sites

Mato Grosso, Brazil: The day to day routine of the following women involves being amongst at least 60 men but that has never been a problem, not even for their fathers or boyfriends. “I am one of them,” states Edna Saiber, a 28 year old construction site quality technologist.

Likewise, 28 year old Maritssa Barba Padilha da Silva, also a construction technologist, describes her working environment alongside the workers on the Della Rosa II building, by Caixa Construções, in Cuiabá as being calm and respectful. “I have always been supported regarding the decisions I have made. I have been working on the construction site for 2 years in quality control and verifying services and materials,” she says.

Just four months ago working on the Aquilla building, Edna discovered her passion for the construction sector. On that project she was consulting the site foreman with regards to the ISO 9001 agreement, one of the regulations to do with quality management. She qualified at the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso in 2005 and states that she got into this sector because of her father. “I got into this line of work because I was curious and I wanted to learn more about it. Working with construction was something that I already wanted to do.”

Edna and Maritssa represent a reality that is more and more apparent all over the country – more and more women are working in civil construction roles – proving that they are no longer the weaker sex as their personal commitments go beyond the work on the site.

Edna Saiber balances her work with her other passions – her 6 year old son Pedro, her boyfriend, a course that she is taking in Civil Engineering at the University of Várzea Grande and of course, her appearance. “Just because we work on construction sites does not mean we have to hide our femininity,” she says. Maritssa previously a receptionist for Caixa Construções works from 7am to 5pm and she is also completing her course in Construction Technology at the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso. She also intends to take the Civil Engineering course to fine tune her knowledge and to continue on the construction site, doing what she likes best. She dresses simply; Maritssa says that she isn´t very vain. However that is not to say that she doesn’t always take care in her appearance. “Dresses and heels are indispensable in my day to day.” Her routine includes construction projects, studies, music, friends, nights out and her passion: skating.

The ever increasing number of women in the civil construction sector was stimulated by the lack of male workforce and the industry´s growing demands. All over the country there are dozens of female civil servants, carpenters, site attendants, stone masons, welders, safety technicians and engineers that are mixing with the men with ease and competency and who are making a mark in their fields.

“In many cases we have a better approach when it comes to implementing or correcting a job. We stopped being the weaker sex a long time ago,” affirms Edna. Maritssa also highlights the importance of women getting involved in all sectors possible. “We are just as capable of carrying out these jobs and leading teams,” she states.

According to the Brazilian Chamber for the Construction Industry, in 2010 in Brazil, women represented 200 thousand registered workers, almost double the number registered in 2006 and 8% of the total number of workers in civil construction.

Besides the courses given in universities, federal institutions and private institutions, there are more and more courses being developed to qualify professionals in this field. One of which is given by the Superintendence for the Development of the Central West (Sudeco), a department linked to the Ministry for National Integration, and which benefits from the support of the Federal District State Department for Women. Sudeco developed a project named Women in Construction, which has received investment close to 1.1 million reals. The project is based on offering qualifications and training with priority given to women and to beneficiaries of social programs for income transfer. The Federal Institute of Brasilia is a partner in this project and offers courses for this program. In the second semester of 2013, the program offered classes for tiling and painting to 35 students.

“I believe that this program offers a whole range of opportunities,” affirms Edna, who is looking to invest in the future in the construction of bridges and embankments. “In the construction sector no day is the same. Each day new opportunities arise along with new goals. It is a sector that is growing every day.”

Caixa Construções understands that women not only have overcome gender inequality but that they add an essential touch of beauty, quality, dedication and commitment to each and every construction. Congratulations women! This huge victory is very important to Caixa Construções and is something we want to celebrate during this special month.

This press release has been issued by Caixa Construcoes (Mato Grosso).