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Published on December 9, 2020
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ranks 39th on the list of the world’s 100 most powerful women of 2020 announced by Forbes on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hasina, the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, is currently serving her fourth term, which is also her third consecutive term, after her party, Bangladesh Awami League, won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats.
In the current term, Sheikh Hasina focuses on issues such as food security and access to education and healthcare, Forbes wrote. “An ongoing struggle of Hasina has been establishing a firm democracy in Bangladesh.”
The women on the 17th annual power list hail from 30 countries and were born across four generations including 10 heads of state, 38 CEOs and five entertainers among them.
“But where they differ in age, nationality and job description, they are united in the ways they have been using their platforms to address the unique challenges of 2020,” Forbes said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed the No. 1 spot for the tenth year in a row, with European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde coming in second for the second consecutive year.
US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris made the list for the first time — debuting in the No. 3 slot. Forbes said her "rapid ascension in US politics" has "catapulted" her onto the list.
In particular, several of this year’s Power Women received global plaudits for their effective responses to Covid-19: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (No. 32) vanquished a first and second wave of a virus in her country by implementing strict lockdown and quarantine procedures.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen (No. 37) implemented a rigorous contact-tracing program in January; as a result, to date, the island of 23 million people has lost only seven people to the virus.
The 17 newcomers on this year’s list illustrate that women are leading all aspects of a society transformed by a global pandemic. New UPS CEO Carol Tomé (No. 11) and Clorox head Linda Rendle (No. 87) are responsible for helping provide essential services that have kept Americans connected and clean, while CVS Health executive vice president and incoming CEO Karen Lynch (No. 38) leads the pharmacy giant’s vast COVID testing program and, in 2021, will be responsible for its critical handling of COVID vaccines.
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