Goal 5: A journey overseas chasing her lodestar

According to UNESCO (data from 2022), only 30% of female students attending secondary schools worldwide choose university studies in STEM fields. The lowest percentages are in the fields of ICT (3%), natural sciences, mathematics and statistics (5%) and construction engineering (8%). The colleague we interviewed for this episode of Goal 5 is part of this last group. Originally from Naples, Daniela Guida has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in Industrial Automation and Robotics and two specialized masters: one in Yacht Engineering and the other in Engineering & Construction, obtained at Bocconi and sponsored by Enel Green Power. She is now Head of the Engineering and Construction function in Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Peru. The Scully Effect: from The X-Files to renewable engineering Daniela Guida's personal and professional journey shows that a change is already taking place and it starts from the dreams and ambitions that are cultivated in youth. Daniela Guida tells us how, from an early age, it was women like Rita Levi Montalcini and Margherita Hack, who made the history of science in our country, who inspired her, but also – this is the most curious part – another woman, a very popular TV character in the 1990s: Dana Scully, the pathologist played by actress Gillian Anderson, protagonist of the famous science fiction TV series The X-Files. "I loved that series, and Scully was my favorite character," says Daniela Guida, who also cites research by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, according to which the positive example of that TV character led many girls to choose to study science. It was a powerful shockwave, so much so that it earned the name the "Scully Effect." Two big dreams: to be an engineer in renewables and to see the world What does it mean to be responsible for Engineering and Construction in four countries, so different from each other, in South America? Daniela Guida says the best part of her job is the opportunity to take part in decisions about renewable strategy that can really make a difference, and doing so while respecting the culture and environment in these countries in the first place. This work isn't just theoretical; every day she finds herself solving all kinds of practical problems, like the time when she was visiting a construction site in Colombia after torrential rains, and she had to find a way out of the mud where she was stuck. "Being an engineer also helps with things like that," she says with a smile. Above all, for her, working for Enel Green Power means combining two big dreams: on the one hand, a job as an engineer in renewables that she’d always wanted, testing her ingenuity and ability to imagine, to build something new; on the other hand, exploring countries and connecting with different cultures and communities. But there’s also the importance of working in an environment that rewards merit without regard to gender. As Guida points out, "In my experience working in the company, I’ve never seen being a woman as an obstacle to my career, because EGP rewards merit, based on everyone's abilities. In my experience, reaching Goal 5 is possible." Daniela Guida sends a message to all girls who find themselves choosing their path for life and for work: "Follow your passion, follow your instincts, without being blocked by the cultural heritage that sometimes pushes us to self-censor. Find motivation inside and outside of yourself, including in positive examples that can become your lodestar."

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Goal 5: A journey overseas chasing her lodestar

Goal 5: A journey overseas chasing her lodestar

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