USG hosts live webcast with Sheryl Sandberg

The Undergraduate Student Government screened Sheryl Sandberg’s live discussion on her newest leadership empowerment campaign, Lean In, on Thursday in Taper Hall of Humanities.

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and in 2013, she was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. Sandberg has also worked for Google in the past and is a board member of the Walt Disney Company, Women for Women International and the Center for Global Development.

In 2013, Sandberg published her book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, which she based her campaign on. In the book, Sandberg examines why women are underrepresented in leadership roles both in business and government and offers solutions for women to become more engaged in the workplace.

“Lean In was founded because the world is still dominated by men, and it’s time to change that,” Sandberg said during the live discussion.

The foundation encourages the formation of small circles that consist of eight to 12 members who work to empower each other. Members meet regularly to grow and learn together. Through these circles, Sandberg hopes to spark awareness, skills and confidence in women.

Gabriella Visani, a freshman majoring in occupational therapy, said she attended because she was interested in learning more about female empowerment.

“When I was growing up, I did not think much of gender equality,” she said. “I did a lot of boyish things, and it was not until that I became more interested in feminine things that I started thinking about these issues. Now, I just want to do and know more about it.”

When Sandberg began her campaign, she believed that only 1,000 circles would be formed. As interest has increased, however, the foundation has grown to include 20,000 circles in the United States and across the world.

USG Vice President Rini Sampath is eager to start a Lean In circle at USC, which is why she hosted the event.

“Time is very ripe as more women come to power,” Sampath said. “Since USC is so diverse, it is a great place to start such a discussion.”

Hassaan Ebrahim, a senior majoring in neuroscience, said his family’s experiences sparked his interest in workplace equality.

“My mom is an electrical engineer who works for Apple and has been involved in the tech industry,” he said. “I know the type of challenges she has faced, and I want to get the conversation going.”

The Lean In campaign is not aimed exclusively at women. Sandberg emphasized that if gender equality is to be achieved, men also have to play a role. Ebrahim was the only male who attended the event, however.

Alana Victor, co-director of the USG External Affairs Committee, and Sampath are hoping that if they start a circle at USC, both men and women will work together to empower each other.

“It’s not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue as well,” Victor said.