By Abiola Olawale
The female President of Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CEO of Watson Group, Melina Ngai, India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Chief Executive Officer of the EbonyLife Group, Mo Abudu, amongst others have emerged on Forbes’ latest prestigious list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.
In the most recent rankings, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala earned the impressive distinction of being placed 89th, marking her eighth time appearing on this prestigious list. Meanwhile, Mosunmola Abudu secured the 97th spot, celebrating her presence in the rankings for the fourth consecutive year.
The New Diplomat reports that this comes after Okonjo-Iweala was re-elected as the Director General of the WTO.
According to Forbes: “The good news, however, is that the 100 women on this year’s Power Women List are defying many of the headwinds challenging female progress. Just a few examples: In May, Malina Ngai took over as Group CEO of AS Watson—the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer. Melinda French Gates has pledged $1 billion over the next two years to advance women’s power globally. India finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is overseeing an economy that she says could soon become the world’s third-largest.
“For what might be the most heartening sign of progress, look to our neighbour to the south: In June, Claudia Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidency in a landslide victory that came just 71 years after Mexican women received the right to vote.
“Just because a woman is not in the top 100 of the Forbes Power List does not mean she lacks influence; there are many people whose power is on the rise.”
“A new study reveals fascinating gender differences in how men and women showcase their skills on LinkedIn, a platform widely used by recruiters to identify job candidates. Men are more likely to emphasise leadership and negotiation, while women focus on support-oriented skills. Even women who are already leaders are less likely than their male counterparts to tout their leadership skills.”
Reacting to the development, Abudu shared her excitement, describing her inclusion on the Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women List as a privilege.
She stated: “I am deeply humbled to feature once again on the Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. It is an incredible honour to represent the media and entertainment sector, to stand as a proud Black woman, and to fly the flag for Nigeria and Africa on this prestigious global platform.
“A huge congratulations to all the phenomenal women on this list! A special shoutout to my dearest sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whose unwavering brilliance and leadership inspire us all year after year.”
