Romanian Welder Breaks Barriers at Sicilian Shipyards

In a sea of men in uniform, Petrana Dragota stands out with her round glasses and hard hat. The Romanian national, now over 60, is considered the only female ship carpenter in Italy, according to blogsicilia.it. Her story, a testament to passion and perseverance, resonates as Italy continues to be a major destination for Romanian workers.

Settled in Palermo since 2009, Dragota practices a trade traditionally considered unusual for a woman. “I’ve always done this and I couldn’t do anything else,” she says, recounting her professional journey. This sentiment, “Nu aș putea face altceva” – “I couldn’t do anything else” – encapsulates a deep-seated dedication to her craft and a life built around shipbuilding.

Immediately after high school, at 18, she began working as a carpenter in a Romanian company. Sixteen years ago, she followed her husband to Italy, to Palermo, where she fulfilled her dream of working at Fincantieri, one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world, specializing in the construction of military vessels, cruise ships, offshore platforms, and ferries. Fincantieri, as noted on their official website, plays a crucial role in the global maritime industry.

Dragota says she wears her uniform with pride, and her passion for the work remains strong. “I love Palermo, I am in love with the city and for me it has always been a dream to live here. It was also a dream to work at Fincantieri. At first, when I drove by here, I would look and think how beautiful it would be to work there, and then the dream came true.”

A Respectful Workplace

When asked how she feels being the only female ship carpenter at Fincantieri Palermo, Dragota responds that she is the only one in Italy. “The fact that I am a woman doesn’t matter; from the first moment I arrived here, everyone treated me with respect and never made me feel inferior because I am a woman. I felt respected and protected,” she shares. This experience highlights a positive and inclusive work environment, a notable aspect of her story.

Dragota recounts feeling safe at work, working alongside her male colleagues, and never experiencing fear, either because of her gender or the nature of her profession. Her story challenges traditional gender roles within a historically male-dominated industry.

Italy’s Romanian Community

Dragota’s journey is part of a larger trend: Italy remains the country with the largest Romanian community in the world. The most recent official data published by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) shows that 1,083,774 Romanian citizens resided in the peninsula as of January 1, 2024. Further statistics from the Italian Ministry of the Interior confirm an even higher figure: 1,137,728 Romanians living in Italy with registered residency, representing approximately 21% of all foreigners in Italy. This growth, as reported by Libertatea, has been consistent over the past decade, doubling from 531,826 in 2014 to 1,137,728 in 2024.

Romanians are among the most active workers in the Italian economy, present in all key sectors. The distribution by sector looks like this:

• Construction – 32.5%
• Tourism – 18.5%
• Agriculture – 12.5%
• Food Industry – 11.5%
• Other services – 25%

In addition to these areas, more and more Romanians are migrating to skilled jobs: IT, engineering, healthcare, or the technology industry, where demand for specialists remains high. This shift reflects a growing diversification of the Romanian workforce within Italy.

Beyond the Individual: A Broader Narrative

Petrana Dragota’s story isn’t just about one woman breaking barriers in a traditionally male field; it’s a microcosm of the larger Romanian diaspora’s contribution to the Italian economy and society. Her dedication to her craft, her pride in her work at Fincantieri, and her positive experience in a traditionally challenging environment offer a compelling narrative of integration and success. The fact that she is, as she states, the only female ship carpenter in Italy underscores both the progress made and the work that remains to be done in promoting gender equality in the workplace.

The success of Romanian workers in Italy, and Dragota’s story specifically, also highlights the importance of skilled labor migration in addressing workforce shortages and driving economic growth. As Fincantieri continues to build and innovate in the shipbuilding industry, individuals like Petrana Dragota are essential to its success.

Looking ahead, Dragota’s continued presence at Fincantieri serves as an inspiration and a testament to the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Her story, rooted in a simple yet powerful statement – “I couldn’t do anything else” – speaks to a lifelong commitment to her craft and a determination to excel in a field she loves.