German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been given the number-one spot for the eleventh time by the Forbes magazine.
Forbes list of the 25 most powerful women of the world includes the names of the smartest and toughest female business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, philanthropists and CEOs making their mark in the world today. These women are laying down rules in financial markets, leading politics and policy making, and are managing multi-million dollar brands.
Merkel is followed by US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, with Janet Yellen, chair of the U.S. federal reserve, ranked in third – up one from the 2015 list.
The list took four things into account: money, media presence, spheres of influence and impact.
This year’s list has a more global outreach. Scotland, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Croatia, Lithuania, and Taiwan are some of the countries who have made it to the list this time.
This includes Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who recently polled as the most popular Scot in the land; Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Sun Suu Kyi, who saw her years of sacrifice as a pro-Democracy leader awarded; and Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, who recently stepped into office after winning a landslide victory.
Two more Americans take fourth and fifth spot including Melinda Gates who has helped fight polio in the world and Sheryl Sandberg COO Facebook and General Motors chief executive officer Mary Barra respectively.
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is the 13th most powerful woman, according to the rankings, which consider influence, media presence, money and success at implementing change.
There is no mention of Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron, who is also an ambassador for the charity Save the Children and who has a consultancy role with luxury leather goods manufacturer Smythson.
The Queen is the highest-placed British woman on the list, with her ranking rising from 41 last year to 29 in 2016.
Indian woman Indra Nooyi CEO of Pepsi Co also makes it to the list. No woman from Pakistan made it to this prestigious list.
The list does not include any celebrities. Ellen DeGeneres, Taylor Swift, and Angelina Jolie who have been part of the previous lists did not make it this time.
Other notable entries on the list include Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, at number six, one place ahead of Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.
U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey is 21st on the list, compared to 12 in 2015, while Anna Wintour, well-known for her role as editor in chief for Vogue magazine, is 28th.