FROM CRYSTAL TO CONCRETE: TRAJECTORIES OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THE PORT SECTOR OF PARANAGUÁ-PR

Abstract

This article analyzes the career paths of three women who achieved leadership positions in a port company in Paranaguá, in roles historically held by men, breaking down gender barriers historically rooted in the world of work. The study was based on semi-structured interviews conducted with three female workers whose professional trajectories help to understand the strategies of resistance and advancement of women who broke barriers and managed to reach leadership positions in the port company. It also sought to uncover the gender barriers in the professional trajectories of these women and highlight the opportunities and conditions that favored their professional advancement. The analysis followed Bardin's (2016) content analysis technique and was organized into two categories: challenges and possibilities for women in port work. The results indicate that, although women have conquered spaces previously reserved for men, challenges persist related to the need to prove competence, the reconciliation between domestic and professional responsibilities, and the veiled inequality of recognition and income. The trajectories analyzed demonstrate that women have played a fundamental role in the cultural and institutional change of port work, opening paths for new generations of female workers and altering the sexual division of labor.