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We are the global champion for gender equality.

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The World’s Most Extraordinary Women

HARVARD100 IWD 2025

American philanthropist, businesswoman, and author

American actress, Raising Awareness About Breast Cance

Socio-Political Leader, Social Reformer, youngest woman in the world among the women included in the Harvard100 list

Politician, 13th president of the European Commission

Table tennis player, Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris games at 58 years old

Badminton player, India's most successful athletes 

Oscar-winning film director and writer

Politician, scientist, and academic who is serving as the 66th president of Mexico since 1 October 2024, the first woman to hold the office.  

 American novelist, Philanthropist 

Politician serving as the 31st prime minister of Thailand

Activist, writer and media maven focusing on gender, race, LGBTQ issues, social justice 

Wildlife biologist, She is known for her conservation work with the greater adjutant stork, known locally as the Hargila 

CFO at Meta, She was one of the youngest people to become CFO of a large public company 

American billionaire businesswoman executive and philanthropist 

Businesswoman, Director of the Li Ka Shing Foundation 

27th prime minister of Australia

Politician who has been serving as the prime minister of Italy since October 2022, the first woman to hold this position

Philanthropist and Businesswoman. She is the chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation 

Politician, who has served as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016 

Economist who currently serves as the Minister of Finance of Indonesia as part of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet. 

Politician serving as the seventh president of Iceland since 2024. She is Iceland's second female president, after Vigdís Finnbogadóttir 

Environmental scientist who led successful campaigns to increase Nepal's plastic recycling and she has recovered refuse abandoned by visiting mountaineers.

Women's rights activist who campaigns to end female genital mutilation 

Climate activist, and initiator of the school strike for climate in Nigeria

CEO of Yum China. She also was CEO of KFC China, managing director of A.S. Watson Group UK 

Media and education entrepreneur

President, European Central Bank

CEO, General Motors

Human rights campaigner

Chairman & CEO, Fidelity Investments

Irish-American executive and the co-founder and CEO of Bobbie

Chair & CEO, Accenture

 Photojournalist Christina Assi grew up in 1990s Lebanon - a time of constant instability in the aftermath of civil war - and this fuelled her drive to document conflict and cover the untold stories of war.

American reproductive rights activist

Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian

Swimmer, lifeguard and human rights activist

Executive Chairman, Santander

Eugenia Bonetti is a nun who works to rescue girls from being trafficked in Italy and help women leave the country's prostitution industry.

Galvanizing a Movement for Survivors of Sexual Violence

Film-maker, She was put on trial this year in military-ruled Myanmar, accused of violating counter-terrorism laws. At a closed court, she was denied legal representation and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Artist known for autobiographical and confessional artwork

Politician and attorney who has served as the eighth prime minister of Barbados

Philanthropist, Founder, EbonyLife Media

Senior Managing Partner, Granite Asia

Pulitzer Prize-winning Mexican author and professor best known for her fictional work, with various novels

Group MD & Chairperson, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group 

Tanzanian politician who has been serving as president of the United Republic of Tanzania since 19 March 2021. She is the first woman to serve in the position.

Cofounder & CEO, Canva

Heritage conservation engineer

Religious campaigner & Social Activist

Director-General, World Trade Organization

Was a Portuguese feminist poet, journalist and activist.

Actress, Social Activist

CEO, Man Group

Architect, Academic, and novelist 

61. Su Min, China

Road tripper and influencer. At the age of 56 and escaping an abusive marriage, Su Min set off on a solo road trip around China, with just her car, a tent and her pension.

CEO HCL Corporation & Chairperson, HCL Technologies

Chair, Sabanci Holding

Founder And Executive Chairperson, Biocon

66. Hinda Abdi Mohamoud, Somalia 

Journalist, Chief editor of Bilan, Bilan aims to shine a light on social issues in one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, covering stories such as Somalis living in hiding with

Danish politician who has been the prime minister of Denmark since June 2019

Co-founder, Monumental Welsh Women

Prime Minister, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Barbadian singer, businesswoman and actress. She is the best-selling female recording artist of the 21st century by Guinness World Records

Educator, author, and philanthropist. Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

Writer and translator, One of Iran’s most prominent novelists, Shahrnush Parsipur has addressed taboo issues in her work, such as female sexual oppression and rebellion in a patriarchal society.

Actress and singer

Chief Content Officer, Netflix

Executive Chairman, Hancock Prospecting

Activist & Soup kitchen founder

American singer, actress, and media personality. Millben has performed for four consecutive U.S. Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. If violence or inhuman acts take place anywhere in the world then it openly opposes it globally platform.

Disability rights advocate

Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia

Film director, author

Chairperson at Temasek Trust

Entrepreneur, Personality, Philanthropist

Museum manager, Preserving and revitalising Kyrgyzstan’s cultural heritage is a priority for Zhanylsynzat Turganbaeva.

Chairman, President & CEO, Northrop Grumman

 Seamstress and businesswoman, Two years ago, Dilorom Yuldosheva lost both legs in a harvesting accident. But that did not stop her from dreaming big.

She learnt the basics of entrepreneurship and resource management and went on to train more than 50 apprentices. Within months, her company grew significantly, running free workshops and securing contracts to produce uniforms for workers and school children.

Her business has since become a source of income for her and dozens of other women.

American singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman. She has had a significant impact on the music industry and is known for her vocal ability, musical versatility, live performances, and culturally important works.

American businesswoman and the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. Member of the President's Export Council.

Pioneer Universal Accessibility & Sustainable Mobility Specialist. She is an assisted wheelchair user living with limb girdle muscular dystrophy since she was 18 years old. Determined to channel her adversity into opportunity, she sees her challenges as a unique chance for making the world accessible and has become the ultimate agent for change.

 Brazilian artistic gymnast. Having won a total of six Olympic and nine World medals, she is the most decorated Brazilian and Latin American gymnast of all time, as well as the most decorated Brazilian Olympian in any discipline.

Track and field athlete

Singer and songwriter

American businesswoman and engineer. She is the president and chief operating officer of SpaceX

Deputy chairwoman and CFO, Huawei

Challenging gender and religious norms is something Firda Marsya Kurnia is comfortable with, as lead vocalist and guitarist in the all-female, hijab-wearing heavy metal band Voice of Baceprot.

Archer, Attacked at home by her ex-boyfriend in 2019, Tracy Otto was left paralysed from the chest down and lost her left eye. Formerly an aspiring fitness model, she was determined to get back to being active

Jamaican-American business executive. Since January 2016, she has been the executive vice president of U.S. stores for The Home Depot.  

Public Speaker and Hindu ideologue, Social Reformer, Founder - Vatsalya Gram Vrindavan, India 

Progress on women’s rights

In knowing and pushing forward for progress, there is hope. .

  • For 89 per cent of governments, ending violence against women is a top priority today, and 193 countries have legal measures against it.  

  • Data shows that countries with domestic violence laws have seen less cases of violence against women. 

  • Most of the world has reached parity in education. By bridging the gender gap in accessing and shaping science and technology, we clear the remaining bottlenecks to equal opportunities and create technology that serves more people and the planet. 

  • More States have strengthened care services and 32 per cent of countries globally now promote better pay and safe working conditions for care workers.  

  • There are 112 countries with a national plan to engage women in peace and security processes – a significant increase from 19 countries in 2010.

Gender Equality Accelerators

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Powerful Keys

For ALL women and girls:

01

A digital revolution

Back the Global Digital Compact so that everyone can benefit from technology and its potential.

02

Zero violence 

Invest in women’s rights organizations already working to prevent and end violence.

03

Freedom from poverty

Invest in social protection systems and public services to give women an equal chance to thrive.

04

Peace and security

Invest in women’s leadership to build peace.

05

Decision-making power

Adopt laws that support women’s participation in politics and business.

06

Climate justice

Prioritize women and girls in climate action by boosting their leadership and access to green jobs.

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