Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women

From Media Bistro:

It’s Friday and it’s lunch time, so you’re probably done with the heavy work load and already thinking about watching the most illegal move in wrestling history. Or maybe that’s just us. Either way, it’s a good time for a list, and Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for 2011 is worth checking out.

The issue hits newsstands Monday, but here’s a couple quick notes: Oprah Winfrey is an unfamiliar spot, having fallen 10 slots to number 16 because OWN hasn’t worked out yet, and one-third of the newcomers on the list are from India or China. Interesting, right?

Check out the list at Fortune.

New Danish PM: Helle Thorning-Schmidt

From The Hindu:

Denmark has elected its first female prime minister, ousting the right-wing government from power after 10 years of pro-market reforms and ever-stricter controls on immigration.

Near complete official results showed on Thursday that a left-leaning bloc led by Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt would gain a narrow majority in the 179-seat Parliament.

“We did it. Make no mistake. We have written history,” the 44-year-old opposition leader told jubilant supporters in Copenhagen. “Today there’s a change of guards in Denmark.”

Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen conceded defeat, saying he would present his Cabinet’s resignation Friday to Queen Margrethe, Denmark’s figurehead monarch.

“So tonight I hand over the keys to the prime minister’s office to Helle Thorning-Schmidt. And dear Helle, take good care of them. You’re only borrowing them,” Loekke Rasmussen said.

Europe: Cadiz Declaration

From Euroalert:

European women in charge of ministries and other european political organisms gathered at Cadiz on the occasion of the "European Summit of Women in Power" have produced a joint statement condemning the low participation of women in certain spheres of public life and its absence at high levels of responsibility and decision making.

After their meeting in Cadiz, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, the EU women ministers and political leaders have signed a joint document which is a statement of principles, objectives and termination of the current reality of the situation of women in public life.

In this paper, already known as the "Declaration of Cadiz", the European leaders have pledged to work to make gender equality a priority on the political agendas of Member States and of the EU and to intensify their efforts to identify and address the obstacles which prevent, impede, or limit the participation of women decision-makers, especially in the fields of politics, economics and knowledge society.

The ministers call on governments, European institutions, academic and scientific, social and economic agents and media to remove the obstacles which prevent the full participation of women in all areas of society and their access and progression in decision-making positions, thus contributing towards a fairer, more equal, more inclusive and successful society. The full text of Cadiz Declaration can be found on page site of the Spanish Presidency of the Union.

It is expected that in 2010 the European Commission will renew its pledge to promote equality, and adopt a gender equality strategy to replace the current road map for equality between women and men.

Fortune's Top "Women" Lists

Fortune Magazine has released its "lists" for 2009:

• 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen
• 25 Highest Paid Women
• 10 Most Powerful Women in Washington
• Women CEO's
• 10 Global Leaders

Forbes: 100 Most Powerful Women

Its that time again - Forbes has released it's list of 100 of the world's most powerful women.

For the fourth year in a row, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, tops the list, followed by:
2: Sheila Bair, chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. US.
3: Indra Nooyi, chief executive, PepsiCo. US.
4: Cynthia Carroll, chief executive, Anglo American. UK.
5: Ho Ching, chief executive, Temasek Holdings. Singapore
6: Irene Rosenfeld, chief executive, Kraft Foods. US.
7: Ellen Kullman, chief executive, DuPont. US.
8: Angela Braly, chief executive, WellPoint. US.
9: Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive, Areva. France
10: Lynn Elsenhans, chief executive, Sunoco. US.


For those, like me, in the southern hemisphere, Australian Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac Banking, came in at No. 18 whilst Helen Clarke, Prime Minister of New Zealand ranked No. 60.

See the full list at Forbes: 100 Most Powerful Women

Melanee Verveer

From Karen Murphy in the Examiner:

A few months ago Hillary named Melanne Verveer as the one person – the most qualified and ready to represent our nation to the world as our Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues. This is the first time in our nation’s history that a position like this has been created, and with Hillary at her back I have every faith that Melanne will have the resources and support she needs to carry out her duties and represent our nation to the world on behalf of women and girls. Her work with Vital Voices – an organization that identifies, trains and mentors emerging women leaders all over the world – has given her the experience and the contacts to continue to speak out on behalf of women’s rights. And now she’s taking it to a much higher level, working side by side with Hillary.

World's Richest Women

From the Vancouver Sun:

Topping the list is Christy Walton, who is worth US$20-billion. Walton is the widow of Wal-Mart scion John Walton, who died in a plane crash in 2005. Right behind her is Alice Walton, worth US$19.5-billion.

This year the 20 richest women on the planet have a combined net worth of US$160-billion derived from a diverse string of industries including manufacturing, finance, real estate and commodities.

While nearly all of their personal balance sheets took a hit in the past 12 months, most of the world's richest women have rehabbed their riches since the global equity markets bottomed out. Since we published our list of the World's Billionaires in March, this elite group has added US$20-billion in cumulative wealth.

Top 36 Women Icons

From the Journal:

History is spiced with the lifetime achievements of many women in different areas of interests.

The amazing fusion of strength of character, kindness of heart and compassion of these women continue to inspire generations of other women all over the world. Here and now, Women’s Journal is privileged to present an all-women shortlist of the world’s iconic figures.

View the List here.

Anna Bligh

Congratulations to Anna Bligh - the first woman to be elected a State Premier in Australia.

From the Courier Mail:
"Ms Bligh has created history last night, defying every opinion poll, to easily win the Queensland election and earn the Labor Party a fifth consecutive term.

The 48-year-old mother of two became the first female politician to be elected a premier in any Australian state.

Labor suffered a 4 per cent swing across the state yesterday but it was half what the Liberal National Party required to win government."

From The Standard:
"Queenslanders yesterday elected Labor under Anna Bligh to a fifth term in government. Anna Bligh now becomes the first woman to be elected as Premier in Australia - Joan Kirner and Carmen Lawrence were both appointed after the resignations of Peter Dowding and John Cain respectively, and Anna became Premier in Queensland when Peter Beattie resigned.

The recently united Liberal/Country Party under Lawrence Springborg needed a swing of 7.6% to win government, and in the end achieved around 4%, much less than many had expected.

Bligh’s campaign was built around a relentless focus on protecting Queenslanders’ jobs."


Web Links:
ABC New South Wales: Anna Bligh
Queensland Government: Premier of Queensland

Navanethem Pillay on IWD

Navanethem Pillay is United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - here are her thoughts on celebrating International Women's Day.

From The Gleaner:
"In my lifetime, I have seen unimaginable change, in my own country and around the world. I have seen the power of ordinary people who have stood up against the injustices they faced and who have triumphed against all odds.

Today, I am celebrating the power of women, the power to overcome the particular vulnerabilities resulting from these multiple forms of discrimination.

There are benchmarks of progress - women in parliament, women heads of state, women on the highest courts, and women in the UN. Perhaps as a result, I see girls around the world growing up with a different sense of themselves than I and most women of my generation were given. These girls are powerful. They say no to harmful practices such as early marriage, female genital mutilation and sexual harassment. They want to go to school and get an education. They want to be lawyers, doctors, judges, members of parliament. They want to change the world they live in. I know they will and I celebrate these girls on International Women's Day. They are our future."

"Testosterone to Blame"

The Observer's Catherine Bennett has written an interesting article on whether the political and economic world would be better off with women, instead of men, at the top.

You can read Catherine's article here: "So you think women would have saved us. Think again."

"But in the current climate, with the values of steadiness and thrift finally prevailing over fecklessness and greed, it is becoming customary to ask for a sex change at the top.

In a discussion of this question which appeared in the Observer last week, investment banking and pensions expert Dr Ros Altmann said that "female values", such as "a caring mind-set, a nurturing mind-set, a mind-set that says let's worry about the future", had been sadly absent from the City, where the culture had been instead "very short term and very much about instant gratification"."

Harriet Harman

... or "Treachery Wears Heels"

From the Mail Online:
"Senior Labour figures have accused Miss Harman of 'sucking up' to trades unions and party members in readiness for a leadership race if the party loses the next election.

Ever since her election to Parliament in 1983, Harman has been ferociously ambitious. Principle has never meant anything to her - she has always matched her opinions to the prevailing mood of the party.

Harman was rarely interested in an initiative unless it would enhance her status. The effort she put into trying to win a seat in the Shadow Cabinet far outweighed the time she gave to mastering policy.

Her career path has always ebbed and flowed with the tide of the political mood. A typical inner-city radical when she entered the House of Commons in the Eighties, she transformed herself into an uber-moderate under Blair, causing outrage to the Labour Left by pushing for cuts in lone parenthood benefits.

Her semi-clandestine campaign for the leadership has been going on for months."


Link: Wikipedia on Harriet Harman

Margaret Thatcher

The following is an article on Lady Margaret Thatcher, former-Prime Minister of Britain, who still today, is a much castigated figure, despite many calling her one of Britain's greatest leaders since Winston Churchill.

A.N. Wilson's article on the Times Online: "She's hailed as this country's saviour. So why, 30 years on, do the Left still hate Maggie so?"

"She was the first woman to achieve that office. She had done so largely because of the excellent education she had received, which was crowned by a science degree.

Her tutors at Somerville College recognised that in those days the daughter of a grocer in Grantham did not get to Oxford without outstanding intelligence and a great deal of grit.

But when Margaret returned to her old college to receive an Honorary Fellowship, these same hateful old Left-wing tutors would not even consent to meet her.

Margaret Thatcher took over from him as Prime Minister to find a Britain in 1979 on the verge of bankruptcy. Britain was a by-word throughout the world for sloppy standards, economic chaos and appalling labour relations. We counted for nothing in diplomatic and international affairs.

But within a very few years, Margaret Thatcher turned that around. She brought in trades union legislation which no man would have dared to enact. She was prepared, moreover, to fight for it - and in effect waged a war against Arthur Scargill's communistic tactics.

When the Falkland Islands were invaded by a fascist dictator from Argentina, Margaret Thatcher amazed the world by having the courage to send a task force of British ships and soldiers to fight. They would never have won without her personal courage. "

Use the link above to read the full article.

Links:

Wiki - Margaret Thatcher

Time 100: Margaret Thatcher

BBC History - Margaret Thatcher

Sudan: Women in Government

From allAfrica:

"When Sabrina Dario Lokolong, the Speaker of South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria State Assembly, enters or leaves Parliament, all the other members of parliament must stand up.

"People, especially men, really don't like this," Lokolong said. She is 40 -- young in South Sudan's political scene -- unmarried and without children; all factors that add to her difficulties as a female figure of authority.

It would be a tough job for anyone: the south is barely out of decades of conflict, physical and administrative structures are weak where they exist, money is short and deep ethnic divisions remain.

Southern politicians are frequently accused -- usually with few consequences -- of corruption and nepotism. Women leaders also have to contend with even juicier, sexual rumors that spread faster and are often entirely untrue. And while wrongly distributed cash or jobs can at least be understood as beneficial to the individual's relatives, accusations against women tend to hurt their relationships with their family.

In the war, Ito explained, women were also left alone to deal with the homesteads and internal and inter-tribal conflicts. Once they found themselves in these positions of authority, there was no way they would return to the dutiful shadows.

There have always been strong women in Southern societies, Ito said, but the push now is to make high-profile women the rule, not exceptions allowed by their families.

The 25 percent target was greeted with jubilation by women and is much talked about at rallies and in speeches by southern leaders who have managed to -- or are making steps towards -- filling the quota. In some ways it is an easier promise to fulfill than improving the wrecked health and education sectors.

In national elections set for next year, a quarter of seats will have to be filled by women: following the precedent started by the SPLM. "Now there is 25 percent in the electoral law and even the most fundamentalist and conservative political parties talk about it," Ito said. It has been an important success for the SPLM who have always claimed to want political change across Sudan, not just in the South.

But Warija -- like others -- believes that the women leaders, like their male counterparts, need to do more to reconnect with the grassroots. Women selected for positions of power tend to be those who left during the war and picked up skills and ideas elsewhere.

Like other women in government, the top handful arrived at their positions in a variety of ways, including an important proportion through being married to top rebel commanders. But all were passionately dedicated to the rebel movement, making enormous sacrifices.

"They're all tough and very scary," Juma said about the five or six top ladies. While enormously respected - as mothers and grandmothers they also have a special "layer of power, influence and status" - there's not a huge amount of sisterhood to be seen.

And sisterhood is badly needed. Not only between rural women but between high-profile women and others in more lowly positions in government who may experience less spiteful sexual gossip and lies, but instead face endless sexual harassment."

Women & Leadership Conference

From PRNewswire:

"Newsweek's Fourth Annual "Women & Leadership" Conference will be held Tuesday, October 7, with ABC's Barbara Walters as the luncheon keynote speaker. The conference is part of Newsweek's ongoing "Leadership for the 21st Century" series. It will beheld at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The first panel, "Politics and Power," will address the theme of women, power and politics. The second panel, "Power and the Workplace," will examine the stereotypes and challenges of female leaders."

Women In Authority

Here's an amusing little blurb from "The Boy's Own Paper" entitled:

• Luther writing on women in public office

"As a creature of God, a woman is to be looked upon with reverence. For she was created to be around the man, to care for children and to bring them up in an honest and godly way, and to be subject to the man. Men, on the other hand, are commanded to govern and have the rule over women and the rest of the household. But if a woman forsakes her office and assumes authority over her husband, she is no longer doing her own work, for which she was created, but a work that comes from her own fault and from evil. For God did not create this sex for ruling, and therefore they never rule successfully."

Thoughts .....