In August 2010, Giorgia Boscolo became Venice's first fully licensed female gondolier. Before becoming a gondolier, Hai had aspired to be a filmmaker.

Yes, women can be gondoliers in Venice, but it remains an overwhelmingly male-dominated profession due to centuries of tradition and a historically restrictive licensing process. The "glass ceiling" was officially broken in 2010, when Giorgia Boscolo, the daughter of a veteran gondolier, became the first woman to pass the rigorous exams and receive a professional license. Since then, a few other women have joined the ranks, though the number remains very small—typically fewer than five women out of the approximately 400 licensed gondoliers in the city. To become a gondolier in 2026, an applicant must undergo extensive training in the "Voga alla Veneta" (the unique standing rowing style), pass a test on Venetian history and landmarks, and demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. While the profession was traditionally passed down from father to son, the modernization of the "Ente Gondola" (the governing body) has made it possible for any qualified person to apply. Despite the slow progress, female gondoliers are a symbol of a changing Venice, though you are still far more likely to see the traditional "striped-shirt" male figure navigating the narrow canals of the city on a typical afternoon.