The Most Influential Women of 2019
UPDATED: Check out the most influential women of 2020!
From inspirational female celebrities to businesswomen to political activists, women have made a truly amazing impact in 2019! They know that the greatest women in history change the game for the generations that follow in terms of the power and the presence women have in society. Even while much of the news about women in the world has been bleak, there are still women illuminating and addressing systemic problems in the United States and the world.
Young female politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are being voted into places of power and finding ways to be a vocal presence for people who are often overlooked. There are more powerful world leaders who are women making headlines - many of which are written by female journalists difficult topics into perspective for the public. Movements like Me Too continue highlighting the epidemic of sexual violence in Hollywood and elsewhere, gaining ever more momentum as they are spearheaded and supported by female celebrities.
Who are the most inspiring women of 2019? Vote up the most influential women below and feel free to add anyone you think is missing!
- Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (née Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American lawyer, university administrator and writer, who was the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She ...more
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Christina Koch
Christina Hammock Koch (born January 29, 1979) is an American engineer and NASA astronaut of the class of 2013. She received Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University. She also did advanced study while working for the Goddard Space Flight Center. Just before becoming an astronaut, she served with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as Station Chief for American Samoa. On March 14, 2019, she launched to the International Space Station as a Flight Engineer on Expedition 59, 60 and 61. On October 18, 2019, Koch and Jessica Meir were the first women to participate in an all-female spacewalk.
- Jessica Ulrika Meir is Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, following postdoctoral research in comparative physiology at the University ...more
- Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.Elizabeth was born in London as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George ...more
- Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and has hosted her syndicated ...more
- Oprah Gail Winfrey (born Orpah Gail Winfrey, January 29, 1954) is an American media executive, actress, talk show host, television producer and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show ...more
- Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress, model and activist. Born in Paris and brought up in Oxfordshire, Watson attended the Dragon School and trained as an actress ...more
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg (March 15, 1933-September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who was an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and ...more
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Greta Thunberg
- Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982), is a member of the British royal family. Her husband, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is expected to become ...more
- Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions ...more
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989) is an American activist, community organizer, and democratic-socialist politician. On June 26, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez won the Democratic primary in New ...more
- Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her unconventionality, provocative work ...more
- 14Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, record producer, businesswoman, fashion designer, actress and philanthropist. She is known for embracing various ...more
- Angela Dorothea Merkel (, German: [aŋˈɡeːla ˈmɛɐ̯kl̩]; née Kasner; born 17 July 1954) is a German politician serving as Chancellor of Germany since 2005. She served as the leader of the centre-right ...more
- 16Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. After graduating from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a recording contract with XL Recordings. In 2007, she received ...more
- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (born Rachel Meghan Markle; August 4, 1981), is an American-born member of the British royal family and former actress. Markle was raised in Los Angeles, California and has ...more
- Melinda Ann Gates DBE (née French; August 15, 1964) is an American philanthropist and a former general manager at Microsoft. In 2000, she co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her ...more
- Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She is the world's highest-paid actress, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has made multiple ...more
- Sonia Maria Sotomayor (Spanish: [ˈsonja sotomaˈʝoɾ]; born June 25, 1954) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama in May 2009 and ...more
- Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern (; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician serving since 26 October 2017 as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand. She has also served as the Leader of the Labour ...more
- Emma González is an American activist and advocate for gun control. As a high school senior she survived the February 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, and in response ...more
- 23Melissa Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), better known by her stage name Lizzo, is an American alternative hip hop artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a founding member of indie hip hop ...more
- Angelina Jolie (; née Voight, formerly Jolie Pitt, born June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of such accolades as an Academy Award and three Golden Globe ...more
- Ariana Grande (born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. A multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her wide vocal range, which critics have ...more
