Most Powerful Women in the World

The Top 10 Most Powerful Women in the World

Throughout history, there have been many powerful women who have made significant contributions to the world around them and, in many cases, changed the course of history. These women were either born into power or fought to obtain it at great personal cost, but they all fought hard to make their mark on the world, despite facing various obstacles and adversity along the way. Here are the top 10 most powerful women in the world.

Angela Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Photo | AP)

The Chancellor of Germany is a powerful woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, even if that means poking holes in other governments. Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner on July 17, 1954, to Horst Kasner and Herlind Jentzsch. Before joining politics, she received a doctorate from University of Leipzig and became a quantum chemist for East German Academy of Sciences. With her help, Germany recovered from recession in no time at all.

Theresa May

Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The top of our list is Theresa May, current Prime Minister of Great Britain. As a trained lawyer, May held several senior positions in her party before she was elected as a Member of Parliament for Maidenhead. In July 2016, she succeeded David Cameron as leader of her Conservative Party and two months later became Prime Minister when Cameron resigned from office following defeat at the Brexit referendum. Known for her attention to detail and ability to remain calm under pressure, Prime Minister May has come out on top against some formidable opponents during her political career thus far. She’s also a devoted mother who still makes time for family despite juggling one of highest-pressure careers on earth.

Melinda Gates

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Gates is one of only six women to make it onto Forbes' list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. She’s not only been awarded more than 60 honorary degrees and honours, but she’s also a UN Foundation board member, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, director at Facebook and more. Gates has been married to Bill Gates since 1994 and is still a very powerful woman. And we love her style!

Michelle Obama

She has been regarded as one of The Ten Most Beautiful Women and was included on Barbara Walters' and Vanity Fair's lists of Most Fascinating People. She is married to Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States. Her father is a retired Chicago city worker and her mother worked for Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. She graduated from Whitney Young High School in 1981, where she was voted class intellect by her classmates. In 1985, she earned a bachelor's degree in English literature at Princeton University, becoming the first African-American woman elected to Princeton's eating club Tigers Inn and also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority; an organization that promotes high academic achievement among African-American women.

Hillary Clinton

Clinton, who was born Hillary Diane Rodham, is an American politician and diplomat. She is a former First Lady of the United States (1993-2001), U.S. Senator from New York (2001-2009), and Secretary of State (2009-2013). She has also been a lawyer, journalist, and social activist. In April 2011, Clinton announced her candidacy for President of the United States to seek election to succeed President Barack Obama. Since that time she has campaigned for many positions on numerous issues facing our world today. In November 2016, she lost a presidential election against Donald Trump after winning Democratic primaries against Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley; thus becoming a leader of opposition to Donald Trump's presidency.

Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook COO - $1.25 Billion Net Worth: If you don’t know who Sheryl Sandberg is by now, you probably are living under a rock. In case you didn’t know, she was Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard classmate and became his COO shortly after Facebook went public in 2012. That position alone makes her incredibly powerful but what really catapulted her to stardom is her message of empowerment for women and girls around the world. She runs non-profit organizations that help women learn how to lean in by reaching their full potential and her best selling book Lean In sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.

Christine Lagarde

It's no surprise that Christine Lagarde, who holds a doctorate in economics from Paris' École nationale d'administration, ranks at #1 on Forbes’ list of powerful women. In 2011, she was appointed to head up an organization much larger than herself – The International Monetary Fund (IMF). Her challenge? Rethinking how to bring nations out of economic crisis. She has faced criticism from some circles for her approach with Greece, but overall her efforts are lauded.

Federica Mogherini

Mogherini is one of Europe’s most prominent diplomats, holding a number of senior roles in EU institutions and various Italian ministries. A widely-published expert on European affairs, Mogherini sits on numerous international boards and committees, including as UN special envoy to Syria. In February 2014 she was elected high representative for foreign affairs and security policy—the EU’s top diplomat. Her career has always been linked to humanitarian causes. Mogherini began her working life at the Young Christian Democrats (JCD), an association promoting democratic principles within Italy’s Catholic youth groups. She became JCD’s national president at age 22, making her one of Italy's youngest-ever politicians to hold a senior post.

Beyoncé Knowles Carter

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Knowles is one of Forbes’ most powerful women, and she has been ranked as high as third on their list. This pop star is also an actress and entrepreneur, who co-owns a successful fashion company called House of Deréon. Beyoncé Knowles Carter has made $87 million over her career so far. She has released five albums, which have sold over 100 million copies combined, including her solo album Dangerously In Love (2003) and Destiny Child’s Survivor (2001). She has also won 22 Grammy Awards since 2001. She was recently on tour with Jay Z for his On The Run Tour and has been featured as his guest vocalist for multiple tracks.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Suu Kyi, a politician and Nobel laureate, is one of Myanmar’s most powerful women. As a leader of Myanmar’s opposition party (the National League for Democracy), she has faced political persecution and house arrest over her stance against military dictatorship; she was released from house arrest in 2010. While Suu Kyi currently lives outside of Myanmar, she continues to work towards democracy within her country. She also received many awards: United States Congressional Gold Medal (2012), Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (1990), Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1996) and Rafto Prize for Human Rights (1990).