The World's 25 Most Powerful Women

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1/25 #1 Angela Merkel: Title: Chancellor, Germany / Category: Politics
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2/25 #2 Hillary Clinton: Title: Presidential candidate, United States / Category: Politics
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3/25 #3 Melinda Gates: Title: Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / Country: United States / Category: Philanthropy/NGO
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4/25 #4 Janet Yellen: Title: Chair, Federal Reserve, Washington, United States / Category: Finance
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5/25 #5 Mary Barra: Title: CEO, General Motors / Country: United States / Category: Automotive
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6/25 #6 Christine Lagarde: Title: Managing director, International Monetary Fund / Country: France / Category: Philanthropy/NGO
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7/25 #7 Dilma Rousseff: Title: President, Brazil / Category: Politics
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8/25 #8 Sheryl Sandberg: Title: COO, Facebook / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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9/25 #9 Susan Wojcicki: Title: CEO, YouTube, Google / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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10/25 #10 Michelle Obama: Title: First lady, United States / Category: Politics
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11/25 #11 Park Geun-hye / Title: President, South Korea / Category: Politics
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12/25 #12 Oprah Winfrey: Title: Actress, Director/Producer, Entrepreneur, Personality, Philanthropist / Country: United States / Category: Media
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13/25 #13 Ginni Rometty: Title: CEO, IBM / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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14/25 #14 Meg Whitman: Title: CEO, Hewlett-Packard / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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15/25 #15 Indra Nooyi: Title: CEO, PepsiCo / Country: United States / Category: Business
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16/25 #16 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner: Title: President, Argentina / Category: Politics
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17/25 #17 Irene Rosenfeld: Title: CEO, Mondelēz International / Country: United States / Category: Business
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18/25 #18 Ana Patricia Botín: Title: Chair, Santander Group, Banco Santander / Country: Spain / Category: Finance
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19/25 #19 Abigail Johnson: Title: President-CEO, Fidelity Investments / Country: United States / Category: Investments
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20/25 #20 Marillyn Hewson: Title: CEO, Lockheed Martin / Country: United States / Category: Manufacturing
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21/25 #21 Beyoncé Knowles: Title: Entrepreneur, Musician / Country: United States / Category: Celebrity
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22/25 #22 Marissa Mayer: Title: CEO, Yahoo / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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23/25 #23 Helen Clark: Title: Administrator, U.N. Development Programme / Country: New Zealand!! / Category: Philanthropy/NGO
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24/25 #24 Safra Catz: Title: Co-CEO, Oracle / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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25/25 #25 Angela Ahrendts: Title: SVP, Retail, Apple / Country: United States / Category: Technology
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To celebrate 'International Women's Day' we take a look at the world's 25 most powerful women, according to Forbes (and there's a Kiwi in there!)

This research was conducted in 2015 but takes into account the extraordinary entrepreneurs and visionary CEOS, celebrity role models and billionaire activists, foremost heads of state and pioneer philanthropists.

They are ranked by dollars, media presence and impact.

Images: Getty Images

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