Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has moved up 16 places to number 34 on Forbes' 100 most powerful women list.
Helen, who heads the United Nations Development Programme, was in 50th place last year and is now eight places behind Queen Elizabeth who is ranked 26th.
Helen Clark has moved up to No.34 on the Forbes most powerful women list.
German chancellor Angela Merkel is number one for a second year in a row and second is United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Forbes described Merkel as the "iron lady" of Europe and the lead player in the Eurozone economic drama that continues to threaten global markets.
Forbes has been ranking women who "adhere to the traditional classifications of power and those who have risen to the top of the social and cultural landscape" for nine years.
It covers women in the fields of politics, business, media, entertainment and non-profits.
Among the list, there were 25 chief executives who control $984billion in revenues and 11 billionaires.
It also featured entrepreneurs and 10 celebrities who are "philanthropic do-gooders" and "entrepreneurial go-getters".
Sixteen women enter the list for the first time, including singer Jennifer Lopez, Petrobras chief executive Maria das Gracas Silva Foster and billionaire and widow of Apple's Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Celebrities on the list included Lady Gaga (14), Shakira (40), and Angelina Jolie (66).
Top 10:
- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
- Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State
- Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil
- Melinda Gates, Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Jill Abramson, Executive Editor, The New York Times
- Sonia Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress Party
- Michelle Obama, US First Lady
- Christine Lagarde, Head of International Monetary Fund
- Janet Napolitano, US Secretary of Homeland Security
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
6 comments
Why is anyone in the UN respected?
Posted on 26-08-2012 09:35 | By Phailed
The UN in my opinion is some kind of world old boys (girls) network. It sits back and watches humanitarian disaster unfold in countries like Syria. It employs people who travel the world at its expense. It somehow employed that ex MP Chris Carter??? If Helen is so powerful let her make a real difference. Let her eschew her UN salary and live off her PM superannuation. Surely that's enough.
What about Rachel?
Posted on 26-08-2012 09:53 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Why is Rachel Hunter not on this list? She makes things happen. to quote Rachel: "It won't happen overnight, but it will happen."
More powerful?
Posted on 26-08-2012 10:27 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Does this mean she gets a faster limo? She's still not powerful enough to tell me how long to shower.
Understanding the UN
Posted on 26-08-2012 22:46 | By gsouthon
I can appreciate why Phailed does not appreciate the UN - the media tell us almost nothing about it, and what it does say is mainly about its failures. The trouble is that the UN is so complex, varied and works on so many different issues, that you have to do a lot of work to recognise its value. However, I would ask you one thing. Would you prefer that nations sorted out there conflicts through wars, or by discussing them. We have not had a world war since the UN began, and the number of wars between nations have dropped enormously. Try reading the recent human security report www.hsrgroup.org/human-security-reports/20092010/text.aspx Gray Southon
The UN is toothless
Posted on 27-08-2012 05:08 | By Butch
And cannot serve its role properly now, maybe Helen could come back to NZ and sort out the crap she left this country in, before she scarpered to accept a padded position with a spineless world peace organisation, if she had any sort of gumption, she would have stayed here and sorted the mess out she created, mind you I guess I am happier she is out of here, but on a Powerful list, she is on my dispised list!!!!
Thanks G Southon for your reply
Posted on 27-08-2012 08:39 | By Phailed
It's good to have a decent debate on Sunlive and thanks to G Southon for the explanation. But while there hasn't been a world war, there have been many conflicts where the UN has simply relied on handwringing while many people die. Just ask the ordinary folk in Syria. I also remain unimpressed by the appointment of people like ex MP Chris Carter, known for what I think of as extravagance at our expense to positions at the UN. Is that par for the course? Do leopards change their spots?
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