LeanIn.Org Launches "Together Women Can" Public Awareness Campaign Celebrating The Power Of Women Supporting Each Other

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LeanIn.Org today announced the launch of a public awareness campaign celebrating the power of women supporting each other. The campaign is anchored by a video of influential women speaking passionately about the women who have helped advance their careers and is publicly supported by more than 75 female leaders in business, entertainment, sports, and government. In addition, LeanIn.Org has created a series of research-based tips on the practical, everyday ways women can support other women and girls and is inviting women to celebrate the women who #LeanInTogether with them on social media.

"So many women are lending their voices to this campaign because they have benefited firsthand from the support of other women and know what a difference it can make," explains Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org. "When women work together, we accomplish amazing things."

The campaign emphasizes that women can be powerful allies for each other at work—and are uniquely qualified to do so because they experience many of the same challenges. Women typically get less credit for their successes and are penalized for self-promotion, but they can celebrate one another's accomplishments. Women can mentor other women at any stage in their career, and research shows that women mentored by women often feel more supported and satisfied with their job. Research also shows that by middle school girls are less interested in leading than boys, but women can counteract this trend by modeling leadership and encouraging girls to step outside their comfort zone.

"According to LeanIn.Org and McKinsey's Women in the Workplace study, at the current pace it will take more than one hundred years to reach gender parity in the C-suite," Sandberg added. "We can't wait that long for change, which is why women have to act now. When we support each other, we help level the playing field and get to equality more quickly."

Produced in partnership with AOL's MAKERS, the campaign video—which features Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Megyn Kelly, Eva Longoria, Sheryl Sandberg, Abby Wambach, Kerry Washington, Emma Watson, and Serena Williams—highlights these core themes. Kerry Washington sends an emotional messaging of gratitude to Shonda Rhimes, Emma Watson thanks Sofia Coppola for supporting her career, Selena Gomez celebrates the women behind the scenes on her Revival Tour, Lena Dunham debunks the outdated idea that women need to be competitive to succeed, Megyn Kelly talks passionately about the women who've supported her this year, and Serena Williams credits her sister Venus for helping her become the person she is today.

AOL's MAKERS, a women's leadership platform that highlights the stories of groundbreaking women, served as executive producer on the project and is promoting the campaign to their community of female thought leaders on MAKERS.com. The full video is available here, embed code: <!-- TAG START { player: "Player: Lean In PSA | MAKERS", owner: "Makers AOL", for: "Makers AOL" } --><div id="57699d68e4b0eb9e121e3723" class="vdb_player vdb_57699d68e4b0eb9e121e3723568b7c55ff690a17e0a1568d"><script type="text/javascript"src="//delivery.vidible.tv/jsonp/pid=57699d68e4b0eb9e121e3723/568b7c55ff690
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"Our goal is that every woman who visits our campaign website leaves with the inspiration and information they need to advocate for the women and girls in their lives," explains Rachel Thomas, president of LeanIn.Org. "There are so many simple things women can do every day to lift each other up."

At leanin.org/together, women can learn how to be workplace allies and role models for girls and hear Sandberg explain why it's never too early to be a mentor. To keep the messages of the campaign top of mind, they can also sign up to receive a tip a week by text or email. In addition, LeanIn.Org developed a bot for Facebook Messenger, which can be accessed by visiting Lean In's Facebook page and clicking Message. The bot allows women to explore everything on the campaign website in an interactive way on mobile.

"Together Women Can" was inspired by the success of Lean In's Circles program, a network of 28,000 small peer groups that meet regularly to encourage one another and practice new skills together. For the past three years, Circles have shown what happens when women support one another. Eighty-five percent of members attribute a positive change in their life to their Circle, and participants regularly share stories of taking on new challenges, asking for salary increases, and feeling more confident. Women can join or start their own Lean In Circle at leanin.org/circles.

"The women in Lean In Circles are putting the message of this campaign into practice, and it's paying off for them," says Thomas. "We want women everywhere to benefit from the same female support."

To reach women of varying ages and interests, LeanIn.Org partnered with several leading brands to create smart, inspiring, and sometimes playful videos that underscore the messages of the campaign, all of which are available at leanin.org/together: 

• Top lifestyle media brand POPSUGAR developed a series of videos highlighting examples of women supporting one another in popular culture. The videos, which were produced as part of a larger partnership with LeanIn.Org to engage young women, are optimized for mobile viewing and sharing. Embed code for POPSUGAR's videos: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLYkQDuDMtbCBcy14Y4W3KCntjw1s_LJIn" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
• Hulu produced a series of videos that highlight the female leaders who star in, produce, and direct Hulu Originals, including the Golden Globe nominated series Casual, The Path, and the upcoming dramatic series Shut Eye. The videos are available to stream across all Hulu-enabled devices and can be found at hulu.com/leanin.
• WNBA filmed several top players—including Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donne, Candace Parker, Chiney Ogwumike, Nneka Ogwumike, Tamika Catchings, and Breanna Stewart—celebrating the women who have supported them on and off the court. The videos are optimized for the WNBA's social channels as part of a program to engage players and fans throughout the season. Embed code for WNBA's social videos: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLJF-SoKepICWAQkV2XVmCYfHtRy8mXGKn" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>.

With the help of POPSUGAR, Hulu, WNBA, and a host of other large-scale distribution and advertising partners—including AOL, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Shine, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube—the campaign will reach hundreds of millions of women online and in social media. Virgin America will also play the main campaign video and related educational videos from LeanIn.Org on its RED entertainment system, which is available on all flights, starting in September 2016.

Finally, Getty Images has curated a capsule collection of 725 images of women supporting women as part of the Lean In Collection, a library of images devoted to the powerful depiction of women, girls, and the people who support them. The images can be found by searching under the keyword "TogetherWomenCan" at gettyimages.com/leanin.

To participate in the campaign, women are encouraged to celebrate the women who #LeanInTogether with them on social media or to post "Together women accomplish amazing things. #LeanInTogether."  They can also visit leanin.org/together to explore the campaign videos, tips, and other materials.

Quotes from LeanIn.Org's Campaign Partners

"Women supporting other women is at the very core of what MAKERS stands for, and we are proud to support LeanIn.Org with the launch of 'Together Women Can,'" said Dyllan McGee, MAKERS executive producer. "The leaders of tomorrow are influenced by the stories we're telling today. We hope our campaign video is a jumping-off point to inspire women and girls around the world to #LeanInTogether."

"We are thrilled to partner with LeanIn.Org to help young women take action," said POPSUGAR president Lisa Sugar. "With the combination of Lean In's practical, research-based information and our expertise engaging millennials in fun, relatable ways, we can inspire the next generation of female leaders to work together and go further."

"WNBA players are world-class athletes who serve as inspirations to many young women," said WNBA president Lisa Borders. "Each of our players was supported by someone in her life who believed in her, and our partnership with LeanIn.Org provides the perfect platform for telling these powerful stories. We are excited to continue our work with Sheryl and her team as we celebrate our landmark 20^th season."

About LeanIn.Org
LeanIn.Org is the nonprofit organization founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to empower all women to achieve their ambitions. LeanIn.Org offers inspiration and support through an online community, free education materials, and Lean In Circles, small peer groups that meet regularly to learn and grow together. The LeanIn.Org community now encompasses more than 800,000 women and men and 28,000 Lean In Circles in more than 140 countries.

About AOL's MAKERS
MAKERS is a women's leadership platform that highlights the stories of groundbreaking women today to create the leaders of tomorrow—it is the largest and most dynamic video collection of women's stories ever assembled. MAKERS encompasses broadcast documentaries, web and mobile-first video content, and live events. Today, MAKERS.com features over 3,000 videos and the stories of more than 300 women. Current MAKERS include media mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey; writer, actor, and producer Lena Dunham; former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice; U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg; writer and producer Shonda Rhimes; and more. Visit MAKERS.com and follow @MAKERSwomen on Twitter and Instagram to learn more.

About POPSUGAR
POPSUGAR Inc. is a global media and technology company including lifestyle media publisher POPSUGAR, digital shopping platform ShopStyle, and monthly subscription box POPSUGAR Must Have. Together, the brands attract 100 million monthly visitors worldwide and inform, entertain, and inspire action through the content we create and the commerce we drive. What unites our businesses is the belief that it takes more than inspiration to live the life you want. That's why we not only create content that moves our audience but also make it easier to take action on what's important to them—whether it's starting a new fitness routine or participating in a social cause.

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SOURCE LeanIn.Org

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