Jacinda Ardern makes Forbes list of world's most powerful women for fourth year, drops two places

12:51, Dec 09 2021
STUFF
PM Jacinda Ardern announced that Auckland and some low-vaccinated regions will enter the new Covid-19 Protection Framework at the red setting, with the rest of the country doing so at the orange setting. (First published on November 20, 2021)

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has again been included on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women for 2021, dropping two places.

Ardern was ranked 34th this year, her fourth year on the United States business magazine’s list, down from 32nd in 2020.

Her highest ranking was 13th in 2017.

The 2021 list ranks the prime minister as more powerful than Queen Elizabeth but less powerful than US television icon Oprah Winfrey.

Forbes mentions Ardern’s achievements prior to 2021 as setting “new norms as a government leader” for taking a six-week maternity leave while in office so that she could give birth to her daughter, Neve.

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The list also mentions the global praise Ardern received in 2020 for her “capable handling” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made it onto Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women for the fourth time, falling two places on last year.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made it onto Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women for the fourth time, falling two places on last year.

Other notable achievements included being the youngest female leader in the world and being New Zealand’s youngest prime minister in 150 years when she was elected at the age of 38, winning her second term in a “landslide”, and as a Labour leader promising to tackle climate change and child poverty.

Ardern’s fourth year on the list also mentioned she likes to DJ in her spare time.

She appears on the list alongside other world leaders, chief executives and experts.

The No 1 spot for 2021 went to billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

It's the first time in a decade that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has not been No 1, having stepped down after 16 years in power.

Other world leaders on the list include US Vice-President Kamala Harris (No 2) and the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen (No 9).

Forbes' list of the world's most powerful women 2021

1 MacKenzie Scott (philanthropist)

2 Kamala Harris (politician)

3 Christine Lagarde (politician)

4 Mary Barra (business)

5 Melinda French Gates (philanthropist)

6 Abigail Johnson (finance)

7 Ana Patricia Botin (finance)

8 Ursula von der Leyen (politics)

9 Tsai Ing-wen (politics)

10 Julie Sweet (business)

23 Oprah Winfrey (entertainment)

34 Jacinda Ardern (politics)

68 Rihanna (music)

70 Queen Elizabeth II (royalty)

76 Beyonce Knowles (music)

78 Taylor Swift (music)

85 Serena Williams (tennis)

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