“It is strange that you tell me that you find it difficult”, this is what Liseth Bermúdez's husband tells her when she’s fearful about some project that she decides to undertake. He is convinced that his wife is capable of everything, since he has seen her fight and achieve whatever she wants, no matter how difficult it may seem.
This Barranquillera has never stopped trying whatever she sets out to do. Among those things, was working in the industrial sector. Today she is the first woman at Enel Colombia to hold the position as boiler and maintenance operator at the Cartagena Power Plant.
But getting to this position did not happen overnight. Liseth had to overcome obstacles like giving up her business administration studies because she felt it wasn't what she was really passionate about.
Her mind and heart weren't behind a desk, she pictured herself wearing boots and a uniform, doing maintenance or looking for machine troubleshooting solutions.
This is how she began studies in industrial instrumentation at SENA and then she completed different technology and electronics courses with international certifications.
Little by little, she became involved in a world dominated by men and where she wanted to prove herself, without leaving aside her work as a wife, mother of two girls and a university student.
Before reaching her current position, she worked four years as a contractor and instrumentalist for the Cartagena Power Plant. One day, she applied for a call without thinking twice, because she felt suited: She knew our business and was more than ready, and had the will and the desire to do her best.
After a selection process, she was chosen and has now been at Enel-Colombia for four months.
She is the only woman in our companies dedicated to this work, where in addition to having technical knowledge, she must perform physical force to start and open the boiler valves at our Thermal Power Plant in Cartagena.
“The physical part is the hardest thing in my job, although it becomes less and less so. In my colleagues I have found a team, they have never made me feel that I cannot do it; on the contrary, they are gentlemen and always help me, they even teach me techniques to make my work easier.”
Liseth dreams of advancing even further and feels that she is in the best place to do so, because she has found in Enel space where people are recognized for their talent regardless of gender. A place where the barriers of "I can't" are knocked down because the only obstacle is in the mind.
This woman is already preparing herself to become an electrical engineer, but her real dream is to be a great example for her four and six year old daughters, to show them that they can achieve whatever they set out to do and that she will be there to support them no matter how crazy the road may seem.
“When my daughters tell me they have too much homework, I tell them: If your mom can do everything she does, be a worker, a mom and a student, I am sure that you can too. Things are not always going to be easy, but if they fight and persevere they will succeed.”
At Enel-Colombia we are committed to gender equality and women have the same opportunities to apply to positions that previously were only held by men. You can learn more about our policies here.