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Women, New Operators of Forestry Machinery

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Gender equity, a concept often heard yet poorly understood, means that men and women have the same rights, benefits, opportunities, and are treated with equal respect in all aspects of daily life. This remains a pending issue worldwide, and the Chilean forestry sector is acknowledging it, as evidenced by initiatives developed by forestry associations in line with public policies in this regard—especially during a pandemic where female employment has been particularly affected.

Initiatives like Más Mujer Forestal, which incorporates measurements and actions to advance gender equity in the sector, and the working group of the Asociación de Contratistas Forestales AG with the Regional Ministerial Secretary for Women and Gender Equity of Biobío (Sernameg Biobío), aim to increase female presence in fieldwork, including them in spaces traditionally dominated by men, where women were previously limited to administrative roles.

This is how, through Sernameg's Jefas de Hogar program, Carolina Pardo, María José Ortiz, and Jenniffer Araneda trained to become forestry machinery operators now hired by ARAUCO.

Carolina Pardo is 29 years old, from Hualqui in the Biobío region, and since late August, she has been working at the Luga site between Quirihue and Cobquecura, operating the sorting and stacking machine. She had no prior experience or knowledge of the industry but accepted the challenge "to enter the workforce, work, and achieve my goals—owning a home and securing a good future for my children." Her kids are 13, 10, and three and a half years old, and while Carolina is on shift, her mother takes care of them. "I like machinery, nature, and the countryside. Through the municipality, I signed up and saw a video that was very different from what I’m doing now—they never told us we’d be machine operators. I thought it was something I could do too, something new. Why not women? If men can do it, why can’t we? They often underestimate us, but we can be just as good or better."

She had a month of virtual classes from home, followed by a three-month hands-on training in machinery during the harsh winter, with tough weather conditions, road closures, and wearing rain gear—but aware that these were experiences she needed to live through.

Jenniffer Araneda González is 31 and has previous work experience in retail and driving a school van. Originally from Hualqui, she became unemployed due to the pandemic. A friend told her about Sernameg's Jefas de Hogar program offering courses, so she enrolled. Now, she operates a processor that cleans and cuts trees according to ARAUCO’s standards at the Luga site. "After taking an English course and a food handling course, the coordinator told me about an opportunity for women in forestry—operating heavy machinery. I said, 'Let’s go!' I went through 500 interviews plus medical exams, and here I am."

With no prior forestry experience—except for her godfather, who has worked in the industry for 30 years—Jenniffer had little knowledge of machinery. "I’ve learned everything on the job. I wanted to explore a new field, and I’ve been fascinated with forestry since day one, from the theoretical training to seeing the machines. There was some fear at first, but it faded because I enjoy working with them. I see myself here long-term—the pay is good, shifts are fair, and it aligns with the future plans I have with my partner."

"I’m grateful for the support from my colleagues—they’re always willing to help. For example, I’m small, and the machine is tall; I can’t open the battery compartment to start it, so they help when it’s my turn to process. At the camp, we have a cabin just for us women, with TV, bathroom, and shower—so we have privacy. On-site, we even have our own locked bathroom. That makes us happy."

María José Ortiz Astete, 24, is from Cañete. She graduated as a Financial Engineer in 2019, but after her internship, Covid-19 disrupted her initial plans. Through this program—where her mother enrolled her with the help of the municipal social worker—she found a new opportunity. "I’ve always taken courses through Jefas de Hogar and even won a Fosis project. I love experimenting and learning, so I chose this path." At the Luga site, she recalls being inspired by seeing women operating heavy machinery abroad and elsewhere in Chile. "When the chance came, I thought, 'Why not?'"

"Safety is crucial in my role because it’s tough work. I’m in the yarder tower, constantly handling cables and navigating slopes—it’s more physically demanding than my colleagues’ tasks, but we’re a team. They handle the harvesting side, so we all contribute."

"I’ve never felt discriminated against—on the contrary, my tower teammates and everyone else treat me with respect, like royalty. We’re equals here."

Carolina recalls how everything was new during fieldwork training. "There were machines we didn’t even know how to turn on. I thought, 'What am I doing in such a huge machine? How do I climb in? How do I move it?' It’s operated only with foot pedals—no steering wheel. The first week was tough, but by the second, I got the hang of it, and then I didn’t want to get off."

"We’ve had no issues with our coworkers. First, we met through the course’s WhatsApp group, and now we joke around and get along well—no conflicts. I feel great; the guys have never looked down on us. My family is here, and weekends feel like vacations. My roommates and teammates—I spend more time here than at home. The hardest part was leaving my kids, but they’re happy. I video-called them from the site to show what I do, and they’re proud I can operate such a big machine. I love what I’m doing—I’m happy."

Carolina wants to keep improving on her current machine and later switch to a processor, then a shovel logger. "For now, I want to master this equipment, but eventually, I’ll try others. No one’s moving me from here."

María José, meanwhile, hopes to stay for at least five more years. "If possible, I’d like to master this machine, then try others—I love the variety. The shifts are great: seven days on, seven off. Since I don’t have kids, it’s no obstacle. On my off weeks, I can pursue other projects and earn extra income—you always have to aim higher."

"More women should join forestry—we’re capable, and we’re here to contribute our perspective. Don’t fear the machines. I’ve gained confidence, and everything falls into place."

Jenniffer encourages others to take the leap: "The idea is to leave the door open for those who want to follow us. Who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll have an all-women worksite—that’d be amazing."