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Emma Watson Among Stars Inspiring Women To #LeanInTogether For Sandberg’s Campaign

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 02:58 PST, Jun 25, 2016

A call by author Sheryl Sandberg of the book Lean In, has been answered by a number of notable female celebrities including Emma Watson, Kerry Washington, and Lena Dunham. Such celebrities are among the voices joining the #LeanInTogether initiative ignited by Sandberg that call for women to support each other in the workplace and beyond to everyday life.

A recently released video for Sandberg’s Together Women Can initiative shows Watson, Washington, and Dunham speaking about the women in their lives who have contributed to their success. Kerry spoke about the impact that Shonda Rhimes has made on her own career.

“‘I’m not really sure what my life would look like without Shonda Rhimes,’ Scandal star Washington says of her show’s creator.”

Watson spoke about the support Sophia Coppola showed her when she became a film star.

“[Filmmaker Sophia Coppola] supported my work and she made me believe that I could do more.”

Lena Dunham then spoke fondly of “close collaborator” Jenni Konner.

Following this, Sandberg reminds of the power of togetherness and support for one another.

“When women lean in together, we accomplish amazing things.”

The author is certainly one to be inspired by, as not only an initiator of campaigns for female empowerment but also due to her power role as COO for Facebook. Sandberg addressed her campaign with Lena Dunham in her Lenny Letter newsletter. Entertainment Weekly relays her words as reported in the newsletter.

“Our goal is to help women lean in to their ambitions — and we don’t get there alone. We have heard from our Lean In Circles and from women in the workplace that in order to be more confident and feel stronger, they look to their female peers for support.”

Additionally, Sandberg spoke on ABC about her reasons for starting the female empowerment campaign, following the death of her husband. She shared that there are everyday things in the workplace that women can do to show appreciation and help one another to reach potential.

The author and COO gives an example of giving credit to female co-workers for their ideas, stating that men are always credited when bringing their ideas to the table and women should give and get the same recognition.

Sandberg also spoke directly to parents about teaching their daughters to have strong voices.

“We call our little girls ‘bossy.’ We don’t call little boys ‘bossy,’ because we expect them to lead. We should look at our daughters and say, ‘You’re not bossy, you have executive leadership skills and I’m going to support and encourage that.'”

As for the women who have been influences in her own life, Sandberg gives credit to Facebook’s Lori Goler and co-founder of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, for their strength and determination.

“[Huffington] has been for a very long time a source of great career advice for me, but also a personal shoulder to cry on, which I needed.”

An additional hope that Sandberg has for the campaign is to open women’s eyes to the fact that they actually are already supporting each other in small ways and that this will inspire them to do more to “lean in” together.

“We will celebrate the women who are helping us. We will get rid of the myth that women are other women’s worst enemies, because they’re not. And we will start celebrating leadership in women and little girls everywhere.”

More about the Together Women Can campaign can be found at Leanin.org.

[Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People]

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