You have to admit, 2016 has been a bit of a crazy year. Most of us were overwhelmed with the politics that took over the nation (and continues to monopolize our Facebook feeds), but the players involved in the election weren’t the only names worth noting.
2016 was actually a shining example of the power of women. We have put together a list of 22 of the most powerful, innovative, creative, successful and clever women who are paving the way for future generations. Read up on the ladies who are working hard, closing the gap and just being downright ballers.
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Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO
Wojcicki is probably the most well-known woman on this list, but she still doesn’t get the pioneering recognition she deserves as the CEO of YouTube. She’s also making waves for women balancing work and home life. She has been vocal about dedicating her evening hours to her family. While working at Google, Wojcicki put programs in place for moms and moms-to-be like having nursing rooms on-site and allowing employees 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
Padmasree Warrior, NextEV CEO
Fortune magazine called Warrior the “Queen of the Electric Car Biz.” And she really is. Prior to running NextEv, Warrior was the chief technology and strategy officer at Cisco Systems. Haven’t heard of NextEv? Don’t worry, you will soon. The electric car startup just opened an office in San Jose.
Sabrina Parsons, Palo Alto Software CEO
Like most of the women on this list, Parsons is so much more than a successful businesswoman. As a mother of three, she is fighting on behalf of women in the workplace. Parsons recently told LivePlan, “I’m a mom, I’m a wife, and I’m a very motivated career person. And each one of those parts of my life is important and brings me joy.”
Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany
Merkel has been running Germany’s government for over a decade. Now that’s what I call a pioneer! But she’s not just a leader, she’s a humanitarian, something U.S. leaders should emulate. Merkel opened Germany’s borders to over 1 million Syrian and Muslim immigrants over the last several years. Despite severe backlash from anti-refugee citizens, Merkel continues to defend her open-door policy for refugees, ensuring as many refugees as possible are able to seek asylum in Germany.
Mary Barra, General Motors CEO
Who said car companies are just for men? Certainly not us. As the first female CEO of a major global automotive company, Barra is a woman to know. She is so brilliant and considered such a woman of importance in the United States that she was even reportedly considered as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the recent election.
Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
Lagarde is another political woman who is putting the U.S. government to shame when it comes to progressive equality. Lagarde was listed as Forbes‘ No. 6 “Power Woman” in 2015 for the way she has charismatically and skillfully served as the economic adviser and backstop for 188 countries. In 2016, Lagarde has worked diligently to build economic strength in Egypt, issued stark warnings against Brexit and continues to fight for women’s equality.
Meg Whitman, HP USA CEO
You might have seen Whitman recently as Hillary Clinton’s guest at the final presidential debate. Despite being a Republican, Whitman fully endorsed and supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Along with being the leader of HP, she is also a vocal political activist who has used her platform to advocate for a woman’s right to choose and assault weapon bans.
Indra Nooyi, Pepsi CEO
As CEO, Nooyi is moving Pepsi beyond just a soda business. She is focusing on healthier options to drive the business into the future, and her innovative ideas have continued growth within the company.
In 2016, she forcefully spoke out against Donald Trump’s words against women and has encouraged the new administration to ensure the inclusion of non-whites, women and the LGBT community.
Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan
Ing-wen is the first female president elected to serve in Taiwan for a reason. In the most recent election, she won in a landslide, proving her country’s faith and respect. Unfortunately, Ing-wen’s presidency since being sworn in has been riddled with difficulties, but she has yet to back down.
Most recently, Ing-wen has fought the mounting pressure from China against Taiwan, she has spoken out about maintaining U.S. relations despite the outcome of the election and she has worked to grow tourism within the country.
Lindsay Shookus, ‘SNL’ producer
Women can be funny too, and Saturday Night Live producer Shookus is one of many proving it. Shookus has been a producer for the show since 2012, working to make SNL more diverse as well as keeping the programming current.
She also campaigned vocally during the election and served on the #ShesWithUs creative council with others like Lena Dunham and Shonda Rhimes.
Debra Lee, BET chairman and CEO
Lee is a pioneer for diversity in entertainment as the CEO of BET. And she isn’t just bringing it to television, she’s also been tapped to help Twitter explore and boost diversity as a member of their board.
She was also just named in Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women in Cable list. She landed at No. 7 on the list. She spent 2016 addressing important issues in the black community like voting rights, mothers against urban violence and solutions for the Flint water crisis.
Sarah Moll, NFL director of media events
Moll is the definition of a woman making a space for herself in a man’s world… the manliest of worlds: the NFL. You know the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with Beyoncé and Coldplay? Yeah, that was her. No big deal.
Julie Greenwald, Atlantic Records chairman/COO
Greenwald started at the bottom as a personal assistant in the music world, and now she’s running the show. She constantly gives advice to young adults seeking employment and told The New York Times, “You have to differentiate yourself. If you want to get the job or even get promoted, you have to stand out, and you have to get there by being vulnerable, speaking up, being resourceful, because all we want is people who can handle impossible tasks and get them done and not say, ‘Well, I couldn’t.'”
In 2016, she was ranked on Billboard’s Power 100 list at No. 20 for her work on albums like Ed Sheeran’s X, Fetty Wap’s self-titled debut and the Hamilton soundtrack.
Jaha Dukureh, activist
Dukureh has dedicated her life to activism, specifically fighting against genital mutilation, of which she herself was a victim. She founded the organization Safe Hands for Girls, which helps women who have been or are at risk of genital mutilation.
Dukureh made Time‘s 2016 Most Influential People list for her activism efforts.
Christiana Figueres, Costa Rican diplomat
Figueres’ title as a Costa Rican diplomat just doesn’t do her justice. She is a climate-change activist who was one of the key figures that designed and successfully enacted a binding agreement from the world’s nations to take measures to avoid global warming. She is considered one of the top world leaders and even raced against Ban Ki-moon for the position of the U.N.’s secretary general in 2016.
Guo Pei, fashion designer
Guo Pei is a Chinese fashion designer best known for designing the dress Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Ball. Known for her intricate couture designs, Pei is definitely a star on the rise and someone to watch in the coming years.
Guo Pei made Time‘s 100 Most Influential list in 2016 for her innovative designs and the way she has managed to bridge the gaps in the fashion world.
Sunita Narain, environmentalist
According to Time magazine, “Narain’s ideas have shaped some of the key debates of our time.” She co-authored a paper in 1991 that is still considered the foundational charter of the global climate-justice movement. If anyone can solve the global-warming problem, it’s Narain.
In 2016, Narain appeared in Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary Before the Flood, and her appearance has been called the key scene of the entire film.
General Lori Robinson, U.S. head of the Northern Command
General Robinson is pioneering the way for women in the United States military. She is the highest-ranking female general in U.S. history and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. “I hope that the excellence she represents is an inspiration to women to join our armed forces,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at the time of Robinson’s appointment in May 2016.
Kathy Niakan, developmental biologist
Niakan isn’t just any old biologist. She was the first scientist to gain regulatory approval allowing her the right to edit the genomes of human embryos for research, which happened at the beginning of 2016. Her focus is human development and stem cell biology, setting the stage for a future that improves the human condition.
Barbie Ferreira, model
At just 19 years old, Ferreira is a model worth watching. She is changing the fashion landscape for plus-size and curvier women. She first made a name for herself in January in Aerie’s unretouched photo campaign and her trailblazing hasn’t stopped since. In an interview with Time, Ferreira explained, “Curvy and plus-size models will just be models once it becomes more normalized and we get more representation and people are used it and not shocked by it.
In 2016, Ferreira appeared in Lovesick’s holiday campaign, she made Time‘s list of Most Influential Teens and she shared her dieting struggles in an effort to help other girls who are like her.
Women you should know
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