FX.co ★ World’s 5 most powerful women

Angela Merkel

Something extraordinary happened in 2005. For the first time in history, a woman had become the Chancellor of Germany. It was Angela Merkel. She managed to prove that women could set the tone in international politics. She has been in the office for the fourth consecutive term. However, she has already announced that she is not going to seek another term as a Chancellor in the next election in 2021. Importantly, Angela Merkel is the de facto leader of the entire European Union. Angela gained her reputation of a successful leader after she managed to revive the largest European economy steering Germany from a deep economic crisis and back to impressive growth. Merkel has repeatedly been called a tough and steely reserved leader. A survey conducted just a couple of months ago showed that more than 75% of the adult population of Europe trust Merkel more than any other leader in the region.

Christine Lagarde

Lagarde became the first woman to head the European Central Bank on November 1, 2019. She took the post during an extremely difficult period. The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected the global economy as well as the European one. More than once Lagarde had to face a tough choice about the next steps in monetary policy. She also insists that next year will be no easier than the previous one adding that the economy will have to go through more than one shock before finally rebounding from the crisis. Experts hope that thanks to vast experience as the head of the International Monetary Fund, Lagarde will be able to find a solution to negate the havoc caused by the pandemic.

Kamala Harris

On November 7, 2020, Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President in American history. Curiously enough, she is no stranger to firsts. Four years ago, Harris became the first Indian-American woman to serve in the US Senate. Six years earlier, she was the first African-American woman to serve as California's attorney general. Kamala has more than once proved to be a born leader. As a student, she was the best graduate of Howard University.

Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen was appointed President of the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU in July 2019. She is the first woman to serve in the role, which is responsible for legislation affecting more than 700 million people living in Europe. What is more, from 2005 to 2019, she served in Angela Merkel’s cabinet. It turned out to be the longest tenure of any cabinet member. During the last six years in the cabinet, she was Germany’s Defense Minister.

Melinda Gates

Melinda Gates became one of the most influential women in the world thanks to her philanthropic activities in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established in 2000. Nowadays, their charity remains the largest private foundation in the world, with a $40 billion trust endowment. Melinda is increasingly visible when it comes to shaping the foundation's strategy. In particular, the strategic development of the organization is entirely her duty. Gates has spent most of her life fighting for the rights of women and girls around the world. Her next mission is to close the funding gap for female founders through her own investment and incubation company, Pivotal Ventures.