WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced on Tuesday his department is providing “unconditional support” for “Lean In Circles,” a peer-to-peer empowerment campaign for women.
The empowerment campaign was started by Facebook chief operating officer and best-selling author Sheryl Sandberg with the stated goal of propelling women to leadership roles. Sandberg is also the founder of LeanIn.org, a resource that helps users find “circles”, or meeting groups that women can attend to inspire one another for reaching higher career goals.
Secretary Carter attended such a meeting with Sandberg in the Pentagon on Monday. Also in attendance was Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, Army Brig. Gen. Patricia Frost and retired Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the first woman to be awarded the rank of four star general in U.S. military history.
Secretary Carter pledged his support to the campaign, calling the peer-to-peer meetings an “investment in our people and our future.” He also said the Department of Defense will provide space and time for both service members and civilians to participate in the circles.
According to LeanIn.org, there are over 22,700 circles in 110 countries, and the number continues to grow.
Lean In Circles began following the publishing of Sanberg’s bestseller, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. The work stresses the need to women to organize to reach higher career goals, citing the likelihood of women being under higher scrutiny in the workplace.
Secretary Carter’s endorsement of the campaign comes as the U.S. military continues to move forward with its own integration initiative. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who presides over both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, has come under fire for his announcement that he will not seek an exemption from the Department of Defense for either branch he manages to maintain exclusion of women from combat roles.
Allowing women to serve in combat roles would have the U.S. military opening up to 200,000 positions to women.
