The Most Influential Women of 2019
We feel grateful and encouraged by the many hardworking women from around the world, and in our own city, to start repairing the gaps in our history and raising our voices by taking their amazing accomplishments as examples.
Below is Forbes’ list of the top 10 most influential women in the world in 2019, who used their power for positive influence, including hard power (currencies and constitutions), dynamic power (audiences, communities and creative influence) and soft power (what leaders do with their influence).
Angela Merkel / Chancellor / Germany
Angela Merkel was elected as the first female chancellor of Germany in 2005 and is currently serving her fourth term.
She has fought against anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe, achieved success in pulling Germany out of a financial crisis, and continues to lead Europe's largest economy.
Merkel remains the only female Commander in Chief of a G20 nation, with women today representing just 5% of government heads around the world.
2. Christine Lagarde / European Central Bank President / France
In 2019 Lagarde was the first woman to be elected as head of the European Central Bank. She is in charge of all European monetary policies at a time of uncertainty and slowing economic growth in the region.
Lagarde was also the first woman in charge of the International Monetary Fund, an international organization that aims to promote global economic growth, which she has led for the last decade.
3. Nancy Pelosi / Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives / The United States
Pelosi is the highest-ranking elected woman in the country and held that role from 2007 to 2011.
The 79-year-old is second in line for the presidency and the first woman to hold the speakership in American history.
4. Ursulavon der Leyen / European Commission President / Germany
Von der Leyen was appointed as the first female president of the European Commission in 2019, a role that oversees legislation for more than 700 million Europeans.
She also served in Angela Merkel's cabinet for 14 years, six of which were as defense minister of Germany. She is currently working on making the EU the world's first ‘climate-neutral’ continent.
5. Mary Barra / General Motors CEO / The United States
Barra has served as General Motors’ CEO since 2014 and has invested billions into the future of green transportation.
Forbes points out that GM is ranked No. 1 on the 2018 Global Report on gender equality, and is one of the only major companies to not have a gender pay gap.
6. Jessica Tan / Ping An Group co-CEO / China
Tan first joined the Chinese finance insurance giant in 2013 as group CIO and became the group's co-CEO in 2018.
Before joining Ping An, Tan was a partner at McKinsey, and she has a degree in engineering from MIT.
7. Emma Walmsley / CEO, GlaxoSmithkline / the United Kingdom
Walmsley became CEO of GlaxoSmithKline in April of 2017, making her the first (and only) woman to run a major pharmaceutical company.
Since taking the helm of the 300-year-old company, she has led a global restructuring program aimed at saving more than $500 million a year by 2021.
8. Sahle-Work Zewde / President / Ethiopia
In October 2018, Sahle-Work Zewde became Ethiopia's first woman president and the only serving female head of state in Africa.
A seasoned diplomat and veteran of the United Nations, Zewde was appointed with a unanimous vote by parliament.
9. Rania Nashar / CEO of Samba Financial Group / Saudi Arabia
Nashar is the first female CEO of a Saudi commercial bank, Samba Financial Group.
She becomes CEO at a time when Saudi Arabia is beginning to implement reforms that will promote gender equality as part of their ‘Vision 2030’.
10. Greta Thunberg / Environmental Activist / Sweden
Thunberg became the youngest person in the list’s history at the age of 16.
In August 2018, the teen climate activist started skipping school to protest climate change inaction outside of the Swedish Parliament.
On September 20, 2019, some four million people across the globe participated in the largest climate change demonstration in history, led by Thunberg.
We at SheUp believe that to you, the most influential woman of the year is YOU!- remember all the obstacles you overcame last year, all the failures you encountered and all the battles you had, coming out of each a little stronger, getting closer and closer to your dreams through planning and hard work.
As for now, make sure you believe that you are the one who has the most influence in your life, and others second.
However, many other successful influential women surround each one of us and we must be sure to appreciate them by learning from them whenever we can. I am sure you can think of a few individuals who helped you in 2019.
Let the world know your achievement and maybe you can be on Forbes’ list of the most internationally known and influential people of 2020!