The Two Most Powerful Women in the World

For the sixth time this year, Angela Merkel is named the World’s Most Powerful Woman by Forbes, an American business magazine that features articles on finance, industry, investment, and marketing topics. 

Before entering politics, Angela Merkel was a research scientist. Besides being a politician, she also has a doctorate in physical chemistry. Since 2005, she has been the Chancellor of Germany which, in German politics, is the counterpart of a prime minister. 

She is known for her economic and political accomplishments as a leader of the European Union. According to Forbes, the European Union still remains standing today because of her leadership. She guided Germany through a tough time of recession. Forbes also stated that Merkel’s latest decision to open Germany’s borders to over one million immigrants from Syria and other Muslim countries may be her boldest act. She is often compared to the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, also known as “The Iron Lady” because of their striking similarities, one of which is having a science degree. 

Second to the World’s Most Powerful Woman is none other than the famous Hillary Clinton of the United States. Forbes said that she could likely be the next World’s Most Powerful Woman if she wins the American presidency this November. 

Hillary Clinton has a long background in politics. She is possibly the most talked about female political figure in the United States with over a hundred books and scholarly works written about her. Many people refer to her as a “polarizing figure.” She was once the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was also the First Lady of Arkansas for twelve years. From 2001 to 2009, she was the junior U.S. Senator representing New York. 

Since early 2003, Hillary Clinton had been preparing for a potential candidacy for presidency. Her latest position was the 67th U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013. If she becomes the next U.S. President, she would be the first First Lady to become the President of the United States. Recently, the media considered her the presumptive nominee for earning enough pledged delegates and supportive superdelegates from several states. She is the first female presidential nominee of a major American political party.

Without or without the title of the World’s Most Powerful Woman, these political figures are a celebration of the fact that women’s roles continue to evolve and break away from patriarchal societies and societal norms. Clinton, Merkel, and other women out there have proven that politics is not exclusive to men. Most importantly, they open doors to a world where women become more and more empowered to lead people and make a change in the world.