Women breaking barriers in all walks of life

International Women’s Day was celebrated the world over on March 8, and this year’s theme was ‘break the bias’.  The theme promoted a gender equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Every year, this day is celebrated to highlight the importance of women in the world, to raise their issues, to make them feel that they live in a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.  A world where difference is valued and celebrated

The Vice President of United States of America Kamala Harris said on International Women’s Day, “The future of our world is being built by women and girls. We must do everything we can to ensure that all women and girls — no matter where they live — have the opportunity to succeed.”

Here’s a list of successful women from all around the world, in all spheres of life, achieving things and breaking barriers.

MEET THE WORLD’S 10 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN

MacKenzie Scott

MacKenzie Scott

An American novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott top this year’s World’s 100 Most Powerful Women ranking by replacing former German chancellor Angela Merkel, who ranked first for 15 of the prior 17 iterations of this list. Currently, Scott is the world’s most powerful woman according to Forbes list. She has donated her wealth at an unprecedented scale. She has given away $8.6 billion of her fortune in charitable donation including $2.7 billion this year alone.

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. Harris is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in US history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.

Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde features third on Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women 2021 list. Lagarde is a French politician and lawyer who is the current President of the European Central Bank, a position she has held since November 1, 2019. Prior to this appointment and between July 2011 and September 2019, she was the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

Mary Barra

Mary Barra

Mary Barra is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors. She was elected Chair of the GM Board of Directors on January 4, 2016, and has served as CEO of GM since January 15, 2014. Mary Barra features fourth on Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women 2021 list.

Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is the fifth world’s most powerful woman, according to the latest Forbes report. Also, she is one of the most powerful women in the philanthropy sector as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In early May 2021, Bill Gates and Melinda announced they’re divorced and after that Melinda became a billionaire on her own after Bill Gates transferred her $2.4 billion worth of stock, according to filings.

Abigail Johnson

Abigail-Johnson

An American billionaire businesswoman Abigail Pierrepont Johnson has been president and chief executive officer of the American investment firm Fidelity Investments since 2014. Johnson owns an estimated 24.5 per cent stake in the firm, which has $4.2 trillion in managed assets.

Ana Patricia Botin

Anna-patricia

Ana Patricia Botin is a Spanish banker who has served as the executive chairman of Santander Group since 2014. She is the fourth generation of the Botin family to hold this role. According to Forbes,’ Patricia ranked seventh on the list of 100 Most Powerful Women around the world.

Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula-vander

Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician and physician who has been the President of the European Commission since December 1, 2019. From 2005 until 2019, she served in Angela Merkel’s cabinet -the longest tenure of any cabinet member. For the last six years of her time in Merkel’s cabinet, Ursula was Germany’s defence minister.

Tsai Ing-wen

Tsai-ing-wen

Tsai Ing-wen is a Taiwanese politician and academic serving as the President of the Republic of China since 2016. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party, Tsai is the first female president of Taiwan. She has served as Chair of the DPP since 2020, and previously from 2008 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018. Tsai’s leadership through Covid time is seen as a global model in 2020, Taiwan instituted a rigorous track and trace program to prevent mass contagion. Tsai has vowed to make Taiwan an indispensable member of the world by stimulating the economy with initiatives in biotech, defence, and green energy.

Julie Sweet

Julie-sweet

Julie Sweet is an American business executive. Sweet is chief executive officer of Accenture, a multinational professional services company. She is also a member of the Global Management Committee for Accenture. According to The New York Times, she is “one of the most powerful women in corporate America” and according to Forbes’ 2021 list, she is featured in the top 10 world’s most powerful women.

Courtesy: AFP, Xinhua, India Times, Forbes and New York Times

Broadening the horizon

Women across the world are shining in different sectors. From selling vegetables and flowers, riding buses, tractors and rollers while being the only female drivers in their community. From being the first Chinese female astronaut to visit China’s space station and carry out extravehicular activities, to boxing, cooking and weaving things in their vicinity and being the only breadwinners of the family. Here’s to celebrating womanhood and all the wondrous women of the world.