From fighting the pandemic to reengineering global politics, these influential women—including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams—are making history.
Nothing illustrates the dynamics of this list better than the change at the very top. For only the third time in the 18 years we’ve compiled this ranking, German chancellor Angela Merkel is not No. 1. With her imminent retirement from public office comes a chance to find a new number one; this …
Like wealth, fame, or even love, power is not static. As any of the 17 newcomers to the 2020 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women can attest, a person can quickly gain power through elections, mergers and acquisitions, or the stroke of a pen affirming a promotion. Likewise, as the women …
As the world wrestles with a series of converging crises catalyzed by Covid-19, this year has been a reminder of how ephemeral and volatile power can be, how much of it is at play, where systemic imbalances exist, and how quickly shifts can unfold. And nowhere is that more apparent than in women’s …
This November, Stacey Abrams solidified herself as a household name. The Georgia Democrat and former House minority leader was largely credited with helping flip her state blue during one of the most divisive presidential elections in recent history. And for that, she debuts on our 2020 list of the …
To quantify a concept as subjective as power, the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women relies on a fairly traditional algorithm: power equals money, populations, media mentions and measurable impact. This formula results in a ranking that is, by and large, logical. It makes sense that …
There are 12 billionaires on this year’s World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, worth a collective $150.4 billion. Money doesn’t always directly equate to power; otherwise, there would be far more billionaires on the list. The 12 women span industries and net worths, from $59.7 billion to $1.2 …
Just days after her brother, Jacob Blake, was shot seven times as a result of police brutality in Wisconsin, Letetra Widman took the public stage to give a powerful speech that embodied the strength Black women like herself have possessed in a year rife with racial injustice. “I don’t want your …
We've always known the precarious nature of women's political power around the globe, with progress happening in small steps instead of enormous strides. And while in some ways this year has felt like a slowdown or even a reversal of women's political gains, the leaders on the 2020 Forbes list of …
Leading through a global health and economic crisis is no easy feat, but the events of this past year haven’t fazed the 100 trailblazers who make up Forbes’ 2020 Most Powerful Women list. Of them, 13 helm some of the world’s biggest banks and financial institutions, positions they’ve leveraged to …
This year's Summit will convene a powerful collection of innovative and visionary voices on the frontlines of progress, who are rising to today’s challenges
