Have you ever wondered what it's like to work at one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world? What if you were the first woman to hold a position on Kimberly-Clark's operations team in Northeast Brazil? This is the story of Fernanda, an engineer who overcame challenges and prejudices to fulfill her professional dream. Learn a little more about Fernanda's trajectory, the difficulties she faced, the achievements she obtained and the lessons she learned. Follow and be inspired by this success story!

How did your story with Kimberly-Clark begin?

Fernanda: I started working at Kimberly-Clark in April 2013. At first, in my area – machine operation – we realized that the market often only hired women for production assistant positions. However, in the last stage of the process, which was the interview with the management, they looked at my resume and asked why I was doing the process for a level less than the knowledge I had. I replied: because I have children, houses, bills... so, the hiring team made me a proposal for a pilot program and I was informed that there was a test for this program that would help to further detail the previous experiences of potential employees. The next day, HR got in touch with me and told me that I wouldn't need to take this test, as I had already demonstrated my mastery of all the processes. It was as if I had been promoted even before joining and I was extremely happy to start as a machine operator, the first woman at the Kimberly-Clark unit in Camaçari/BA – Brazil.

After you joined, how was your career development at the company?

Fernanda: My first job was as an operator on the pad production line with Intimus . During this process, I tried to study, pay attention to all processes and qualify myself even more to take on the possible challenges of the future. When our leadership had days off, for example, I was responsible for participating in alignment meetings and presenting results, which added even more knowledge to me. As I stood out, I was also promoted: first from Operator 1 to 2 and so on. Since arriving at Kimberly-Clark, I knew I wanted to build a career. After I moved to the position of operator 3, I went through the process to become a technician in the area and today I work in that leadership role even within the women's product line. But everything that happened to me, I also tend to say that it was the result of teamwork. The challenges and learnings came together from a day to day alongside many people.

Technology is also very present in your work, isn't it? How do you understand this relationship?

Fernanda: With advances in technology, our processes have also become better. Machines allow our work to be enhanced and increasingly precise, as it helps us to have better control of the process. Ergonomics processes also helps to allow team members to become more analytical and understanding of the entire process. I love technology and it's great to see everything we've been able to advance through the work of our employees at the factory and also in the areas of innovation.

What message do you want to leave for the women who are reading this text and feeling inspired by your story?

Fernanda: The message I leave for women and girls is: trust in your potential. Don't procrastinate and don't limit yourself. We can occupy positions and spaces we never imagined, and all women should be wherever they want. With dignity and down to earth, we can go further, always looking at studies and reciprocating our learnings with each other. If we work as a team, the path becomes even better.