This study explores the experiences of daug hters in managerial positions in the particular context of the Brazilian family-owned busi ness, in l ight of the developmental model of family busi ness by Gersick et. al.(1 997) where gender was taken as a perspective of analysis. Twelve open-ended, i n-depth i nterviews were conducted and fol lowed by a careful analysis of the speeches. By following the pathways and the strategies used by the daug hters to enhance their visibility in the family business system, the inherent contradictions to the roles of professional and of the inheritor emerged. It poi nts o ut the difficulty the daughters face in dealing, at the same time, with the desire for gender equality and for identity in the organizational setting. The fi ndings suggest a con servative way that daughters turn o ut to be visi ble in the family structure and how this way may not contribute to the growth and continu ity of the family busi ness.