Q. I’m early in my career and I want to be successful. There are still many women’s issues in the workplace and I want to make sure they don’t impact me negatively. I recently read Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead’’ and was very inspired. Is this just theoretical, or is there real movement to address these issues?

A. Sheryl Sandberg’s book is a must-read for professional women interested in advancing women’s rights in the workplace. Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook and formerly an executive at Google, has inspired hundreds of women to join “Lean In Circles.’’ These self-organizing groups provide professional women with mentorship, opportunities to network, and forums to discuss workplace issues. There are more than 26,000 Lean In Circles in 136 countries.

Workplace inequalities still exist. There is still a pay gap between men and women. There is also limited female representation on boards of directors, as well as many professional networks and clubs. Lean In circles and many other organizations are working to eliminate these.

In Boston, Sarah Joyce is the regional leader and founder of the local Lean In chapter. Lean In Boston hosts monthly meetings alternating between a casual “Cocktails and Chatter’’ networking evening at a local Boston restaurant and a more structured meeting with guest speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions.

Joyce invites women to find out more about the local chapter of Lean In. The next meeting will take place March 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at WeWork by South Station. For more information, check out http://leanincircles.org/chapter/boston-lean-in.

Sheryl Sandberg’s book has inspired many women and men to take initiative in bettering the working environment. Although gender inequality still exists today, it does not have to exist forever.

Elaine Varelas is managing partner at Keystone Partners, a career management firm in Boston.