Megawati, Wu Yi, Arroyo, on Forbes powerful women list
Megawati, Wu Yi, Arroyo, on Forbes powerful women list
Agence France-Presse
Singapore
China's Vice Premier Wu Yi is the world's second most powerful
woman, Forbes magazine said on Friday as it published a list that
also included India's Sonia Gandhi, Indonesian President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
The Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women was
topped by Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser of U.S.
President George W. Bush, according to a Forbes press statement
released here.
Top Singapore businesswoman Ho Ching, the media-shy wife of
newly installed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was a notable
non-politician appearing in the list to be carried in the U.S.
magazine's Sept. 6 issue.
Sonia Gandhi, the president of India's ruling Congress Party
who wields immense influence behind the scenes after turning down
the job of prime minister, came in third.
In fourth place was U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, followed by
Senator Hillary Clinton and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor.
Another U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was
in seventh place, trailed by Megawati (8), Arroyo (9) and
Hewlett-Packard chair and chief executive Carly Fiorina (10).
Forbes said it came up with the list by devising a power
scorecard.
"For each candidate, we came up with a numerical weight
defined by her title and resume, the size of the economic sphere
in which she wields power ... and the number of global media
mentions," the magazine said.
Current heads of state were given more weight than former
ones.
Among the other Asia-Pacific women in the list are Bangladesh
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia (14), New Zealand Prime Minister
Helen Clark (43), Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga (44)
and Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel laureate Ang San Suu Kyi
(45).
Singapore's Ho, who runs state investment arm Temasek
Holdings, was number 24, reflecting her influence as manager of
the city-state's multibillion-dollar global business empire.
Peng Peiyun, president of the All-China Women's Federation,
was number 47 in the list, while Xie Qihua, chairwoman and
president of the Shanghai Baosteel Group, was in 55th place.
Forbes said the list had made "a refreshing break from the
conventional wisdom about women and power" by breaking the notion
that women can only gain power by working behind the scenes and
forging consensus.
The list also included heiresses, media and entertainment
personalities, queens and the wives of political leaders.
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was 21st on
the list, while Britain's first lady, Cherie Blair, was number
12.
Queen Rania of Jordan was in 13th place, Britain's Queen
Elizabeth II in 22nd place and television host Barbara Walters
was in 25th place. -- AFP