7 Most Influential Women On The Planet
Although this year is a test for everyone, women never back down from difficulties. Here is the list of the seven most Influential Women in the World.
1: Angela Merkel:
Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954. She studied physics at the University of Leipzig, received a doctorate in 1978, and then served as a chemist at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences.
Angela Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany and was also one of the European Union's original architects. Merkel joined politics after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. Rising to the Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union party, Merkel became Germany's first female chancellor and one of the European Union's best personalities, following the 2005 national elections.
Angela Merkel is the first former citizen of the German Democratic Republic to lead reunited Germany and the first woman to lead Germany since it became a modern nation-state in 1871.
Merkel was President of the European Council and chaired the G8 in 2007, the second woman to do so, and she was ranked as the World's second most powerful person by Forbes magazine.
2: Christine Lagarde:
Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde is a French politician and lawyer born January 1, 1956, and is the current president of the European Central Bank. Before that, she served as the chair and managing director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund(IMF).
Christine has served on high ministerial posts in France, including Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Agriculture and Fishing. Cristine has the honor of becoming the first woman to be the finance minister of a G8 economy. She has been ranked as the best finance minister in the Eurozone by Financial Times.
3: Nancy Pelosi:
Nancy Pelosi has led the Democrats in the House for the last 16 years and has been in power for the party's highs and lows. Pelosi was born in a political family as her father was in Congress when she was born. Despite being raised in political circles, Pelosi didn't jump in right away; instead, she moved to San Francisco with her husband in the late 1960s and raised their five children as a stay-at-home mom.
But as they grew up, Pelosi decided to enter the fray. Pelosi quickly rose through the California Democratic Party's ranks, earning a reputation as a star fund-raiser. And in 1987, she won a seat in Congress. Through the '90s, Pelosi navigated the party in Washington, becoming a leader in 2003, and Since then, she has raised millions for the democrats. In 2007, Pelosi was elected as the speaker of the House of the 110th Congress.
4: Jessica O. Matthews:
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, CEO and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder of Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator. Matthews attended Harvard College and graduated from Harvard Business School. In 2011, Fortune Magazine named her Fortune’s "10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs" and in 2015, named her as Fortune’s "Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs."
In 2016, when Matthews moved Uncharted Power to Harlem, NY, she created a non-profit arm, the Harlem Tech Fund (HTF), which aims to support 100 new startups and offer technology training to 10,000 Harlem residents over the next two to five years. Matthews has received numerous awards, honors and recognition, like being named Innovator of the Year by Black Enterprise in 2013, one of both Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Magazine's 30 under 30 in 2014 and 2016, respectively, and selected twice by Fortune for recognition.
5: Renae L. Bluitt :
Renae L. Bluitt is an American Filmmaker & PR Consultant based out of Brooklyn, New York.
Renae serves as an advocate for Black women’s accurate representation in the media. With over a decade of experience, Renae has gained valuable insight into Black women entrepreneur’s narratives. A passion that she recently channeled into her new Netflix film as Creator and Executive Producer of the documentary, “She Did That.” The film, which offers an up close and personal look at Black women entrepreneurs. Addressing topics like the funding gap for women of color, the hidden struggles they deal with on their journey to success, and how their creating wealth for future generations to come. In this doc-film they go in depth about the Superwoman complex and how it dictates the day-to-day challenges Black women endure. Black women are one of the only minority groups that learn at a very young age that they wont get handouts, and their hard work will not be praised; in turn, the need to be 10x better than the next person. At one point in the film, a voiceover speaks the words "is collaboration the new competition"
6: Melinda Gates:
Melinda Ann Gates gates is an American philanthropist who also served as the general manager at Microsoft. Melinda also co-founded the World's World's most prominent private charitable organization, "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation."
Born on August 15, 1964, Melinda has been consistently ranked by Forbes as one the most powerful and influential women for many years. Melinda, Along with her husband, Bill Gates have been honored with the award of Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged. Melinda has also received the title of person of the year by Times and received the Spanish Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation along with her husband Bill Gates.
7: Abigail Johnson:
Abigail Pierrepont Johnson is an American billionaire businesswoman who has served the firm Fidelity Investments as the president and CEO and also worked on the chairman post of Fidelity International (FIL).
She is the owner of becoming the first woman to serve on the Financial Services Forum board. With a net worth of $16 Billion, she is considered as the World's wealthiest woman. Forbes named her as the Richest Person In America's 50 Largest Cities and the 7th most powerful woman globally.