Graduated from the School of Electricians, Elaine Guimarães received training

specific to operate below ground level in the Federal District

Women are occupying more and more spaces in professions that, until recently, were mostly dominated by men. At the age of 44, the electrician Elaine Santos Guimarães took on the responsibility of being the first woman, among the five Neoenergia distributors, to work on an underground electricity grid

in the Federal District.

Graduated from the School of Electricians, she acquired specialized training to overcome the challenge. To operate daily on the electricity grid below ground level, it was necessary to have specific knowledge, contained in Regulatory Standards 33 and 35 - issued by the Ministry of Labor -, in addition to a lot of determination to work in confined and dark spaces

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little over a year and a half ago at Neoenergia Brasília, Elaine was hired by the distributor after graduating from the first class of the School of Electricians in the federal capital, in December 2021. Dedicated, the Brazilian electrician caught the attention of the leadership, mainly because of her actions related to safety, one of the priorities of the utility that serves around 1.1 million customers in the

Federal District.

“I received an invitation to migrate to the underground network and I met the challenge,” says Elaine Guimarães. “I completed the mandatory training, received support from colleagues, and I am happy with the opportunity to inspire other women to follow the same path,” adds the

electrician.

Soon, she should be accompanied by other women on Neoenergia Brasília's underground network team. “One of our missions is to strengthen gender equity within the distribution company,” says Hudson Thiago de Oliveira, manager of Subtransmission and Underground Networks at Neoenergia Brasília. “Elaine performs the job with excellence and soon we will open up new opportunities for the female audience”, adds

the executive.

Advantages - The underground electrical network reduces problems caused by electrical shock and storms, in addition to reducing the likelihood of vandalism and the need for maintenance, and improving urban aesthetics.