Sheryl Sandberg has stirred up quite a bit of controversy with her book “Lean In,” in which she advises women to assert themselves in the workplace and beyond. Sandberg calls women out for creating invisible, self-imposed barriers when considering how far they want to go in their respective careers. She notes, “we hold ourselves back in ways both big and small by lacking self confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.” With the ongoing dialogue sparked from this book, I can’t help but wonder about the women who have real-life barriers that impede their professional growth.

While I applaud Sheryl Sandberg for tackling this complex issue and bringing it (once again) to the forefront of national discourse, I think for most women this issue is bigger than simply asking more questions at the weekly staff meeting. Currently in Washington D.C., one in five women live in poverty and women are 35 percent more likely to be in poverty than men. In Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s 2010 Portrait of Women & Girls in the Washington Metropolitan Area, we shared that female-headed households in the District had the lowest median incomes in the region, earning $29,000 annually. For these economically disadvantaged women, leaning in can be tough to do when there are so many other mitigating factors surrounding their survival. Issues like the cost of childcare, unemployment/underemployment, lack of educational attainment, transportation, and securing affordable housing continue to stifle women within this region.

With all that being said, I do feel that Sandberg is definitely on to something! By choosing to launch a nonprofit in conjunction with her book, she’s demonstrating that her words alone are not enough. LeanIn.org is geared towards empowering and encouraging women to create their own Lean In Circles, which will serve as a space for women to come together and strategize on how to push their careers to the next level. My suggestion would be to add an advocacy packet to the Lean In Circle kit that would educate women on how to become spokeswomen for those who can’t advocate for themselves. The message that action must accompany words is invaluable and perhaps the most meaningful piece in this whole debate. Of course, we all want equal pay and a well-deserved promotion, but imagine the power that we could collectively posses if we not only leaned in for ourselves, but also for the women that aren’t afforded the same opportunity. Now that would be powerful!

What would you add to Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In Circles? Share below.

Q: Who was the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as U.S. Surgeon General? Hint: she served from 1990 to 1993.

A: Antonia Novello, M.D., served as the 14th U.S. Surgeon General from 1990 to 1993. Her work as Surgeon General focused on the health of women, children and minorities, underage drinking, smoking and AIDS.

Q: Who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize?

A: Edith Wharton for her fiction novel “The Age of Innocence.”

Q: Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic?

A: Amelia Earhart made her solo trip across the Atlantic in 1932.

Q: What woman helped design the iconic fonts and graphics for Apple Macintosh?

A: Susan Kare developed most of the interface elements for Apple Macintosh. She helped develop the bulk of those little icons early Mac users clicked on everyday.

Q: Who was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent?

A: On May 15, 1809, Mary Dixon Kies received the first U.S. patent issued to a woman for inventing a process for weaving straw with silk or thread.

Q: Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win two?

A: Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in multiple sciences. She received the coveted award in both Physics and Chemistry.

Q: What was the first sporting event that women were allowed to compete in at the Olympics?

A: At the first Winter Games in 1924, the only event open to women was figure skating. Only 15 women participated in these games.

Q: Who was the first female filmmaker to win an Oscar for best director?

A: In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director.  Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker.  She was the fourth woman in history to be nominated for the Best Director Award.  The previous female nominees were: Sofia Coppola (for 2003’s Lost in Translation), Jane Campion (for 1993’s The Piano) and Linda Wertmuller (for Seven Beauties in 1975).

Q: Who was the 3rd mayor of DC and the 1st African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major American city?

A: Sharon Pratt was the third mayor of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1995. She was the first black woman to serve as mayor of a major American city. She is also to date the only woman to have served as mayor of Washington D.C.