Making a stand is essential for women to expand their space in the labor market

My goal is to make more women take courage and start believing more in themselves

Despite the advances presented in recent years – we cannot fail to mention that a woman occupies the position of vice-president in one of the world’s largest economies – women in prominent positions in the labor market are still rare items. In the legal area, where I work, for example, a quick look at the most prestigious segments leaves no doubt that the scenario is still very unequal for the female gender in relation to the male gender.

To have an idea, there has never been a national president of the Brazilian Attorneys’ Organization (OAB). In the Supreme Federal Court (STF), of the 11 ministers only two are women. At the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), only six women make up the team of 35 ministers. Despite being a majority at the OAB – in the 20 to 30 years of age bracket they represent 64% of the members – women do not usually occupy leading positions. The large law firms have only 34% women partners, while in the staff they occupy 57% of the positions.

As a woman from the Northeast of Brazil and a woman, I was, many times, a double target of prejudice, but I never let myself down for these and other difficulties. I was born and grew up in Ipubi, a small town in the back-country of Pernambuco, which currently has a population of a little over 30 thousand people, and, ducking the prognosis of a life marked by stagnation, I migrated to Recife (PE) to study Law. It was there that I also took my master’s degree. And today I am one of the four post-doctoral women in tax law.

When I already had a career of almost 30 years as an auditor for the Internal Revenue Service, I decided to challenge myself again and opened a tax law firm, which today operates in Recife and in the capital city of São Paulo. Personally and professionally fulfilled, I began to wonder why more women could not feel as full as I did, and started to develop a work, as a speaker, that seeks to awaken women to their potential, showing that they can conquer any position they desire.

But for this they need, above all, to take a firm stand. If, on the one hand, the world is macho and there is a certain resistance in embracing women in positions of command, on the other hand, many women accept this condition in a peaceful way. My goal, then, is to encourage more women to have courage and to believe in themselves more and more. Being self-confident and having self-esteem are two of the most important characteristics that women must cultivate in order to always achieve what they want, both professionally and personally.

Understanding one’s own potential is also of the utmost importance for women to know how to take advantage of the opportunities that will not fail to sprout in a world transformed intensely by pandemic and technological advances.

This new world will demand from professionals, for example, characteristics that are abundant in women, such as creativity, sensitivity, and especially flexibility and multifunctionality, because it will be increasingly necessary to adjust to the moment, to avoid focusing on just one issue, and to be able to perform several tasks in different sectors. In this sense, women need to be attentive, to perceive the chances when they appear, and to have the self-confidence to perform the new functions in a competent and effective way.