The first female firefighter at Villares Metals

Magda F. has made history at Villares Metals, the voestalpine subsidiary in Brazil. She is the first female firefighter at the Sumaré plant.

Even strong women sometimes have male role models. Magda F., for example, has her father, who worked at Villares Metals in Sumaré in the Brazilian state of São Paulo until his retirement. He worked a total of 30 years and was a great role model for his daughter. Even as a teenager, Magda emulated her dad and took courses at the Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial — a vocational training institution financed by Brazil’s industrial companies.

Magda F. is the first female firefighter at the Sumaré plant at Villares Metals.

Technology and nursing

Magda began her apprenticeship at Villares Metals in 2017 and helped increase the percentage of women in production. Today, the 23-year-old is one of more than 180 women in the workforce of 1,600 employees and works in finishing. Magda is a pioneer in the company as the first female firefighter at the Villares Metals’ Sumaré plant. She is also a qualified nurse and from the very beginning she was interested in the work of the voluntary emergency fire brigade. One of the brigade’s main tasks is to provide first aid to colleagues who have an accident at work.

A role model for others

She hopes to have set an inspiring precedent for her female colleagues. “There are a lot of other women in manufacturing,” she says, “and if one or two other women decide to join the fire brigade, we can open a lot of doors. If we have more female firefighters, women and men will be equally available to provide help.” For example, if a female employee on the shop floor or in administration has an accident, she can count on another woman to provide first aid. “A woman feels more comfortable being helped by another woman.”