“When I think back to my apprenticeship and early work years, the word that comes to mind is humiliation. I was never afraid to fail technically, but I was afraid I couldn’t reach my goal because someone from the outside decided to stop me. The hardest thing is the feeling of helplessness, not having control over your choices, over your life path. Every day I had to prove that I deserved the position I held, despite, having at least the same skills and passion as my male colleagues. It was devastating: not the work itself, but the toxic climate that surrounded me, made up of sexist jokes and rigid hierarchies. I cried almost every day, but I never stopped believing that wood, design and craftsmanship were my path. Battling on a daily basis with that closed circuit, which seemed untouchable, hurt me but above all made me angry. I often got quite angry, really badly. I was full of horrible sensations, but I didn’t allow them to cause me to implode: it wasn’t easy, but I found a way to use them as propulsion.

The success of the piece that I made for my final apprenticeship exam, the challenge won live by building an impeccable Savonarola, one of the most influential guilds in Germany that invited me on as a speaker: each of these achievements I have built and consolidated through days, weeks, years of anger and frustration transformed into technical precision, project vision and relentless conviction that I have the right to pursue my dream. It is normal to also experience negative feelings. What we must always remember is the happiness we feel when doing what we love and to keep our heart anchored to it. We accept negative feelings, but we don’t let them replace our nature. We’re not wrong because we experience them, but we’re better than that. And we prove it through the results. We must defend ourselves, while at the same time not allowing ourselves to become distorted or to bend our femininity to try to please others.”

“Yes, breaking the glass ceiling was also a bit understanding this: on the one hand, the joy, pride and liberation of having made it; on the other hand, the bitterness of having to look at that award, that place of honour and ask yourself: why do you grow up telling us that there are jobs or environments that are not for women? And are there areas where a woman may not have the right skills, nor the strength to succeed? The most perverse aspect of the sexist legacy of dividing aspirations by gender is that when, as a woman, you are interested in a traditionally male sector, you risk ending up believing those prejudices yourself. You feel compelled to prove yourself, which men don’t need to do, because they see access to opportunities as natural, even when they are completely devoid of talent. Sometimes you realise that you didn’t just have to convince others of your right to be where you wanted to be, but yourself as well. Because prejudice is so systemic that we internalize it as we grow up, without even being aware of it. At first, you’re driven by your dream, by your aspiration, and you don’t see the problem.

Then the unjustified obstacles begin, the difficulties and often, even those who are very close to you, end up telling you to give up. But if you don’t give up, there comes a time when you realize you’re doing it and you’re doing it very well, often better than others. There’s even a reward – and that’s where you ask yourself: “So why did I have to go through everything I went through? Why did you tell me for years that it was not my place, it was not my job? That I would never have the strength, the talent and the necessary vision? How much suffering and injustice would be spared if, before obstructing, people resorted to an objective examination of the facts? How many other talents would have a voice were it not for this mentality that insists on dividing aspirations according to parameters, which have no bearing on merit and talent? In this, the status quo lies to us and has lied to us for too long, and the damage it causes is not only personal to the individual, but it is depriving an entire community of many, many talents, for the wrong reasons.”

“My community is extraordinary: not only for the support it gives me, but above all because today, in the face of disrespect shown towards me or someone else, it actively intervenes, breaking down indifference or silence. This means that thousands of people are embracing a new mindset. I am very proud of it, but a lot still needs to be done, because true equality is not achieved with individual initiatives, but with concrete structural policies. And it is not only a question of gender: I speak as a woman and I am a visible testimony of the difficulties that women may encounter along their journey, but it is not only a question of women. Many men also suffer in an excessively rigid and vertical system. More flexibility and a greater willingness to listen are needed for everyone. Returning to the gender gap, a fundamental first step is to create training spaces free of stereotypes, where a girl who chooses crafts is not seen as an exception, but as a professional on a par with others. Institutions and guilds in all areas need to recognise the value of women and give them a voice in decision-making bodies.

Then there is the cultural theme: dismantling deep-rooted prejudices, showing concrete examples, sharing and giving visibility to success stories that can inspire. My experience shows that visibility is fundamental: when people see that a woman can be an exceptional craftswoman or establish national initiatives, then they begin to understand that it is possible. But the road is long: we need fairer access rules, support systems and a culture that no longer considers strange what at the moment is simply still rare. In the meantime, I want to leave a message for every girl, every young woman, but also every woman who still does not feel like she is where she should be: I know that sometimes you feel like you do not know who you are, because you feel suspended between the world you want and the world that wants you to be someone else. But the compass you need is your instinct, follow what you feel in your gut and you will always know who you are. The only success that matters is being able to do what you love.”