Women have always rolled up their sleeves and contributed at home as well as in business and industry. Sometimes they step outside the roles society expects and forge new opportunities for the women who follow.

Other times they come to the rescue and fill the void — like the Rosie the Riveters supporting the homefront during World War II. Those moments in history galvanized the next generation’s desire for more opportunities.

This month, two events honored women and reinforced the importance of self-discovery and mentorship.

At small ceremony in Saxonburg Oct. 12 a group of civic leaders and supporters gathered at the South Butler Community Library to honor the contributions of a woman who never had the right to vote let alone own property.

Emily Roebling — a woman of steel — was recognized in her own right as an engineer for saving her husband’s business, bringing the iconic Brooklyn Bridge project to completion and assuring the legacy of her father-in-law, John Roebling.

First, her older brother, one of 11 siblings, supported her quest for an education.

Then her husband, the project’s chief engineer who later became ill with decompression sickness, became the best of mentors. From early in their marriage, he shared the knowledge she needed to champion not only the project but convince stakeholders to let her family keep the job and its legacy.

While times have changed, the need for more opportunities for women and mentors to lift them up has not.

Women make up 47% of all U.S. workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2017, only 36% were lawyers, 11% civil engineers and 1% HVAC, refrigerator mechanic and installers. Only 27% were chief executives.

Women speaking at the Women Shaping Our Region gathering Oct. 11 stressed the importance of mentoring in helping other women advance in the workforce. Panelists, from different backgrounds from education to fossil fuels, encouraged women to find what they are passionate about — no matter what the career track — and pursue it.

They also urged more established women and men to reach out to those women with advice and support.

“Yes, there have been times when I’m the only woman around a table full of men, which has been a challenge,” Laural Ziemba, director of public affairs for Range Resources, told the attendees. “But it’s also sometimes a challenge to be a woman around a table full of women, right? We need to do better advocating for other women and ourselves.”

We see positive movement in that direction in our county with recognition of outstanding women of the past, events highlighting the achievements of women today, and organizations like the Butler County Chamber of Commerce Women’s Alliance, fostering that critical mentoring.

— DJS