The following three stories from Colombia are extracts from the booklet 'Women in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry."
Liliana Del Socorro Luna Ramirez
My name is Liliana del Socorro Luna Ramirez. I’m 35 years old, I was born in Medellín, and I currently live in the town of Paris with my husband, Carlo Andres, and my 12-year-old son, Jefferson Alejandro. Since I was 15 years old, I have been enterprising and hard-working, and for this reason I do not feel comfortable if I am doing nothing.
I have a diploma in secretarial studies, but I held a secretarial job for only eight months, on account of some personal circumstances which forced me to resign. After this, I worked as a cashier and waitress for six years in different restaurants in the city. During this period, because of the late nights and the constantly changing schedules, I got tired and decided I wanted something different for my life. I started looking for a job in other areas and, thank God, I found out about a vacancy in an industrial company. The vacancy was for the position of production operator, and this is how, with time, I was able to acquire experience in this field.
After working for other companies, I finally came to Haceb, where I have been working for the last 10 months. Here, I took on several positions, but to date, the one I have enjoyed most is that in the R-600 gas injection station. I am at ease and happy working on this part of the process because more than just being a simple refrigerant gas, R-600 helps in resolving the environmental problems we have today throughout the planet, something that concerns us all. In terms of composition, this gas has a very low pollution level; and it is good to see that a company like Haceb cares about contributing to the change.
- "If men are capable, so are we. If they rise, so should we. So do not belittle yourselves and you will see that society will give you the respect you deserve."
Personally, I get along well with men. I think this is because with women, I’ve always had some rivalries. At the company, I’ve never felt belittled or rejected for being a woman. I do not know why, but I think that, currently, there is a greater sense of respect within the company. My message is: if men are capable, so are we. If they rise, so should we. So do not belittle yourselves and you will see that society will give you the respect you deserve.
Leidy Natalia Galeano Ortiz
My name is Leidy Natalia Galeano Ortiz. I am 27 years old and I live in Copacabana, Antioquia, Colombia - more specifically, along El Varado. I have three children, two girls and a boy: Ana Sofía, 9 years old; Jerónimo, 6 years old; and Maria Êngel, 3 years old. I am a single mother. I consider myself a versatile woman who has faced different changes in life and who will continue to encounter changes in the future. I currently work for Industria Haceb as a production operator in the area of R-600 charging and sealing. R-600 is a gas which requires careful handling, and which is usually volatile; however, it is important to note that it is a refrigerant with a very low level of contamination and that its impact on the ozone layer is minimal. It makes me proud to be part of a very good process which contributes something to environmental solutions.
I never worked before joining Haceb. I depended on my husband, and when I separated from him some five years ago; I found myself alone and I realized that I needed to start providing for my family and securing our future. So, I decided to look for a job to get ahead. Thanks to a friend who helped me submit my résumé to Haceb, the company called me in less than a week.
- “My co-workers were never disrespectful towards me, nor was I to them. I believe that is where everything starts: find your place, show respect, and demand equal respect.”
It was difficult in the beginning. I joined the company with 12 other women, while inside the plant there was only one. In addition to joining a very big industrial company and starting to learn everything from scratch, it was also strange that a lot my colleagues were men. However, from the very start, they were all helpful and kind to me by explaining the procedures. Because of this, and with time, I was able to catch up to maintain the work pace, which was quite demanding. We had to keep standardized times and improve production efficiency and effectiveness continuously.
One thing I appreciate about the company is that from the very beginning, it taught me to be adaptable and to work on different tasks in an appropriate way.
As for my children, it was difficult to get them accustomed to the fact that I cannot be with them the whole day, but these are sacrifices necessary for the family’s well-being. Initially, I worked for one year without being regularized, but about a month ago I was made a regular employee of the company.
I believe that the fact that I worked amongst men did not cast doubt on my capabilities. My co-workers were never disrespectful towards me, nor was I to them. I believe that is where everything starts: find your place, show respect, and demand equal respect.
Leidy Marcela Osorio Molina
My name is Leidy Marcela Osorio Molina. I was born in the city of Medellín, Colombia, 31 years ago, but now I live in the municipality of Copacabana. I consider myself to be a calm, tolerant, and patient woman, but I know that at certain times I need to show that I have a strong personality. In my life, I’ve gone through various situations that have shown me the difficulties that a woman can experience in a sexist society. However, on the other hand, I have also experienced how marvelous it is to be a woman, an experience which greatly outweighs whatever difficult moments I have gone through up to now or I might go through in future.
I’ve had three jobs. The first one was as a receptionist. When I was about to get married and have my daughter, an experience which gave me a marvelous feeling of fulfilment as a woman, I decided with my husband to open a store selling plaster moulds. This did not last long because we separated and had to split our common property. I am now a single mother.
After going through this bittersweet moment, I had to immediately find a job, both for myself and for my daughter, who is totally dependent on me. After sending an unbelievable number of job applications for a long time, I thought I would never get an opportunity to work. However, thank God, I received a call from Industrias Haceb, where I have now been working for the last four years. Of course, at that moment, when I received the notification, I was filled with joy; but I knew that this was an industrial company and that the position they offered was for an operator in a refrigeration plant. I was curious to know what it would be like to work in a place where men predominated and, moreover, in a position which is seen as a man’s job. There, I performed various tasks, including duties as the operator of an R-600 gas injection station. R-600 is a hydrocarbon used in domestic refrigerators. It is currently one of the least polluting gases there is because of its low environmental impact and excellent thermodynamic properties, although handling it is quite hazardous.
- “If you, as a woman, don’t have confidence in your abilities, no one else will.”
On my first day at the plant, I met six other women. There were only two women who had been working there for less than a month. In the beginning, the biggest challenge was adjusting to working in a male-dominated atmosphere, where I felt my ability to do hard work was underestimated because of the simple fact that I was a woman. I noticed it right away because some colleagues were suspicious and held back information that could help me; it seemed that they were afraid that I would do better than them.
Today, we’ve overcome these obstacles and stigmas – this applies not only to me, but also to my male colleagues, who now consider me an essential member of the team. Nevertheless, such behaviour is something that does not stop very easily. Even for new operators, suspicion and doubts about their ability is still obvious; however, this is not a job just for men, but a job for all. If you, as a woman, don’t have confidence in your abilities, no one else will. For me, the best advice I can give to you is that you have to believe that you are working hard, and more importantly, that you can achieve your goals. You must not belittle yourself. Believe your story as a woman and be strong.
