Introduction:
Trying to prepare a list of the 10 most influential woman of the last 100 years is no mean task. The term ‘influence’ is so relative in itself that while a woman might have had great influence on a person, she might mean nothing to another. One’s mother/wife is a case to point. However, going by a democratic process based on numbers, here is a list of 10 women who have been quite some influence in the world.
The 10 most-influential women list:
Hillary Clinton:
Wife of ex-President Bill Clinton, she is a very influential lawyer and supporter of empowering women. She has twice been in the list of US’ 100 most influential lawyers.
Michelle Obama:
Another lawyer and Presidential wife, Michelle has been the strong pillar in helping her hubby Barack guide the most powerful nation in the world through its most financially and socially challenged years. She has also strongly advocated poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating
Aung San Soo Kyi:
With the Nobel Peace Prize, the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov prize to speak for her, Ms Soo Kyi has revolutionized the thinking of a couple of generations and her nation, Burma in which she has forged a new political scenario.
Angela Merkel:
The first woman Chancellor of Germany, she has often been compared to Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. She was No.4 in Forbes list of most powerful women on the planet and also owns 9 public companies.
Indra Nooyi:
The dynamic CEO of PepsiCo is influential in several ways, also being a member of the World Economic Forum, the International Rescue Committee and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Maria Montessori:
She started and popularized a novel mode of education where the child has a self-directed learning. With a lot of work in medicine and psychiatry also, she has been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Queen Noor:
The wife of King Hussein she has done ground-breaking work in educating the world on political and cross-cultural understanding.
Oprah Winfrey:
As a TV host she has revolutionized media communication and mainstream television. It is said that it was her reported 14 million fan-base which helped Barack Obama win the Presidential elections in 2008!
Gertrude Elion:
With 45 patents and 23 honorary degrees, the contribution of Ms Elion to cancer research is immense to say the least.
Dorothy Hodgkin:
From putting band-aids and plasters to Teddy bears, Ms.Hodgkin has moved to the development of advanced antibiotics (used in everyday life) by identifying the structure of penicillin. She got the Nobel Prize for her efforts.
End Point:
If behind every successful man there is a woman, these women have shown that if man steps aside and give way, the woman becomes successful on her own might!
