Discover stories that strengthen the female presence in the field, from students to professional life
By Second Lieutenant (RM2-T) Milena
On social media, Monique Silveira shares her day-to-day maneuvers and work for the Merchant Navy with her almost 200,000 followers. From her profile, she records every detail of her routine as a ship’s Mate (second in command), in operations to transport cargo, water and diesel for platforms.
The professional even reveals all about the benefits of her career: “I work 28 days, I have 28 days off, I get maritime overtime, hazard pay, a fixed night bonus, travel expenses, an annuity from the company and all this adds up to 27,000 reais, as well as food vouchers, life insurance and full health insurance,” she shares.Like the pilot, other women are following the same path in search of professional fulfillment and financial independence.
This dream crossed the seas and enchanted Panamanian Jaasiel Ester Arena Mejía, who left her country in Central America in 2020 to enroll in the Merchant Navy Officers’ Training School (EFOMM) in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
The institution, as well as being aimed at young Brazilians, runs an exchange program with this and other countries such as Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, and trains Nautical and Machinery Officers to qualify for work on ships, platforms and offshore.When Ester, as she likes to be called, discovered EFOMM through the Maritime Vocational Education Program for Foreigners, she was studying science and living with her family, but at the age of 19 she started studying Portuguese and decided to travel alone to face this challenge in Brazil.
Today, at 22, she recalls the many expectations she carried in her luggage at that time: “I studied a lot and faced challenges that went beyond a new address, but I always wanted to work in this area, because the contact we have with the maritime reality in the ports of my country is very strong.
I soon imagined having a better qualification abroad and that’s why I wanted to boost my career here in Brazil.”
A member of the class of 2022, she is one of four foreigners in a class of 138 students, along with students from Paraguay, São Tomé and Príncipe and Cape Verde.
Now in the third and final year of her specialization in Machinery, she is looking forward to starting the pilotage phase next year and knows that the future of her career is very close.
“Merchant Navy practices give students a broad vision. During the course, we learn all the on-board functions, from maintenance to managing the engine room. I’m a great believer in Brazil’s oil potential and I hope to become an excellent Engineer Officer.”
Ester is expected to remain here for the duration of her pilotage, which, depending on the company she chooses, can be one month on, one month off or six months on.
She gave this interview during her studies and made a point of emphasizing the importance of the pioneering women in this segment: “I thank the women who have opened up this path so that other women like me can work with what they love and embark on their own dreams”.
A shared dream
In the same ocean, on different waves. Despite being in the same class as Ester, the tide behind the achievements of Paula Marinho Cunha Francisco, 21, is different: she can’t wait to graduate as a Nautical Officer.
Born in Vicente de Carvalho, a neighborhood on the west side of Rio de Janeiro, she remembers that it all started when she was 14.
Her parents always encouraged her to study in the military. “They thought about my future and my financial stability. As time went by, I studied for a few competitive exams, but I really set my sights on the Merchant Navy without even knowing what the EFOMM was yet,” she recalls.
Another reinforcement from his family is his older sister, Mariana Cunha, a third-year aspirant at the Brazilian Navy’s Naval School. By coincidence, they both studied and entered their courses in the same year.Counting down to graduation in December, Paula Marinho recognizes her own evolution.
“When I understood what it was like to work in the Merchant Navy, it confirmed my desire to move forward. As well as the pay being good and the opportunity for a promising future, I already know that I want to go into the offshore industry and spend 28 days at sea and 28 on land,” says the Nautical student.
Proactive during the course, she participates in the Secretariat of the Merchant Navy Academic Society, the Nautical Guild, the school’s swimming team and also writes for the Pelicano newspaper, which publicizes EFOMM’s actions to society.
Despite her young age, Paula Marinho already has a consistent view of her presence and that of other women in important positions on a ship or platform: “We have the opportunity to explore skills in other sectors, present our leadership in new areas and contribute genuine expertise to the Merchant Navy universe.”
For the future Nautical Officer, despite being challenging, the growing female presence in the Merchant Navy has a special glow, as it inspires other women to follow this career.
“In the future, I see myself employed and fulfilled, even though I know that the pilotage period won’t be easy to get there. I always see beyond, especially this universe that the transportation of goods and the oil and gas area allow, even though society enjoys it on a daily basis and doesn’t really understand what it’s all about,” adds Paula Marinho.
Training and the future
Beyond the horizon of new things is Marília Fernanda Alves da Costa. At the age of 40 and Head of Machinery, she has accumulated 19 years of training and works, always on board, in the Oil and Gas Industry, for the company Equinor.
Unlike those who are still sailing in search of a dream, Marília has already reached the highest position in her profession: “I remember having a smooth passage through the EFOMM, because I always knew what I wanted.
Today, I feel fulfilled and proud to have reached this position that I wanted from the start.” As Chief of Machinery and on a 14×14 work schedule, Marília Fernanda is responsible for managing the machinery section team, as well as planning and coordinating the sector’s specific activities to ensure the efficient operation of machinery and installations. Thus, the entire machinery maintenance plan comes under her supervision.
Her tasks include improving the protection and performance of the equipment and ensuring compliance with maritime safety and environmental regulations. Although it’s a challenging scenario, she’s pleased: “Women have been standing out more and more, showing a lot of technical knowledge, skill, collaboration, proactivity and empathy. The merchant sector can only gain from a female workforce,” says the Chief Engineer.
Even in the face of so much evolution, Marília still perceives a reality of discrimination against the presence of women in positions like this. Despite this, she says she focuses on what really matters. “Regardless of the obstacles, I honestly only see benefits and my message to women who want to be ‘merchants’ is not to give up on this goal, the path is arduous, but the career is very promising,” concludes Marília.
About the course and EFOMMA
The Merchant Navy Officers’ Training School is a reference in the qualification and professional training of young people, both Brazilian and from other countries, to carry out operational activities on merchant vessels, as well as training military personnel for incorporation into the Brazilian Navy Reserve, as Second Lieutenants.
Entry is by competitive examination, in which the candidate must have completed high school and choose the location of the course, if they are classified.
Activities take place at the Admiral Graça Aranha Instruction Center (CIAGA), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), and the Admiral Braz de Aguiar Instruction Center (CIABA), in Belém (PA).For the two course options, Nautical or Machinery, students study for three years on a boarding school basis.
In this context, the Commander of the 5th Student Company of the Merchant Navy Officers’ Training School, at CIAGA, and the only woman in the post, Lieutenant (T) Marcela de Sousa Costa Tavares, celebrates the increase in women among the vacancies.
“We currently have 23% of the student body made up of women, a figure that has been growing gradually over the last three years. In a predominantly male profession, finding women in managerial positions, for example, makes the profession attractive to them too.”
Source: Agência Marinha de Notícias