Svetlana Brodetcaia: „Professionalism has nothing to do with gender”

Svetlana Brodetcaia is a customer service manager at the foreign invested enterprise „Premier Energy” LLC. Having over 30 years of experience in energy, she states that gender is not an obstacle to career advancement. Especially when it comes to people who managed to develop valuable competencies for the labour market and the field they are interested in. Working in a domain perceived as male and dominated mostly by men, Svetlana Brodetcaia believes that women can achieve success in any field they are passionate about.

Her career path would be impossible without a close collaboration with her colleagues. After studying hard sciences at university and then working as an engineering technologist for more than a decade, Svetlana Brodetcaia states that her success would not be possible without the support she received from her colleagues. „I always liked hard sciences. It determined my professional path. My career started in 1985, when I received my first job at „Mezon” factory. I had been working their for 12 years as an engineering technologist. Afterwards, I held the position of operator, computer engineer, commercial activity officer at FIE RED Sud PLC, and then the position of director of the enterprise. In 2007, I was offered the position of electricity networks manager at FIE „Red Union Fenosa” PLC, currently FIE „Premier Energy Distribution” PLC. I accepted this position, as it was something new for me, and I like new things. Among my new competencies was the responsibility to come up with new ideas, to ensure a permanent control and problem solving, including during electrical accidents. From 2018, I hold the position of customer service deputy manager. My professional development would be impossible without my colleagues. In the majority of the teams I worked in, my colleagues were predominantly men. We took this path together, and I am very grateful to them for their support and patience. I have never faced discrimination at workplace”, Svetlana Brodetcaia says.

She also believes that any specialist faces mistrust from colleagues at the beginning of the journey but this aspect has nothing to do with gender, and it cannot be a reason to give up on our goals. Willingness to pursue a career in the field we are passionate about is essential.

„First of all, it is important to have a goal and to follow it. The willingness to grow professionally, to cultivate your team communication skills and your flexibility is very important as well. I believe that these aspects have nothing to do with gender. Even though a woman has to face mistrust from her colleagues who doubt her professional abilities at the beginning of the journey, it is important for us to understand that such an attitude can be faced in any team, and it happents not only to women. In our enterprise there are many women in leadership positions. If a woman decides to advance in her career, she will achieve the desired result. Any person may face different obstacles, regardless of position held, but the willingness to go on plays an essential role. I think interaction with colleagues is very important in developing a good relationship with them. It is not about a man or a woman, it is about a specialist who can bring something new to the team or to the institution they work in”, Svetlana Brodetcaia mentioned.

She believes that the role of companies in women’s empowerment at workplace is also a crucial one. From her point of view, they need to speak about women’s potential and benefits they could bring holding leadership positions. At the same time, it is also important to adopt policies targeting work-life balance.

„Sometimes, because of stereotypes, men do not want to see a woman in a leadership position. Employers should adopt special women’s empowerment programmes, as well as adopt certain strategies aiming at involving women and harnessing their potential. It is extremely important to speak about benefits a woman in a leadership position could bring to a team. At the same time, it is very important to adopt child care policies for employees, which would stipulate flexible working arrangements, allowing them to combine work and family life”, states the employer of „Premier Energy” LLC.

At last, Svetlana Brodetcaia encourages all women and girls to persevere and follow a career in any field, regardless of patterns society got used with: „Do not be afraid. Be self-confident. The most important is continuous professional development, to work honestly and to build healthy relationships within teams”.

In November 2021, UN Women Moldova and FIE „Premier Energy” LLC have signed a collaboration agreement , by which both parties committed to contributing to awareness raising on the need to end gender-based violence and promoting gender equality at community level.