THE POWER OF A WOMAN
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanSometimes it is tough being a woman in a man’s world. It takes determination, courage, persistence and hard work to make it to the top. However, as they always say, “Behind every good man there is a woman.”
Each year Forbes Magazine recognizes the Top 100 Most Powerful Women around the world that have made a difference. They have achieved success and are an inspiration to other women with similar goals or even for women that need a small push to build their confidence to the next level.
There are a few women that come to my mind in 2012 representing various walks of life with accomplishments that stretch far and wide.
In the entertainment industry, Gwen Stefani is a woman that wears a host of different hats but somehow manages to make it all work for her. She is best known for her singing talents as lead vocalist for the band ‘No Doubt’. Singing has always been her passion and she has taken it far. Stefani branched out on her own and was immediately accepted by audiences and went on to win World’s Best-Selling New Female Artist at the World Music Awards 2005.
It didn’t stop there. Stefani dabbled in acting, presenting a whole other side that we were not familiar with but glad that we had witnessed. Buyers, fashion industry professionals, media critics and celebrities all flock to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to view the most current L.A.M.B. Collection which Gwen Stefani herself has created and continues to design. It has been a top seller season after season. She expanded the collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers Line, drawing inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion. Upon the birth of one of her sons, she began designing children’s clothes. In late summer 2007, Gwen launched her very own sweet-smelling perfume and then went on to develop a fragrance line. No matter what she does, women easily relate to this wide-eyed beauty and this put her in the spotlight earning her the title of L’Oreal Paris Spokesperson. She also juggles a family life, married to Gavin Rossdale and being the proud mom of two adorable sons. It is back on the road for Gwen Stefani and ‘No Doubt’ as she begins her world tour with the band, marking their first concert together in 3 years. They will also be performing at the 40th Annual America Music Awards this month.
Another entertainment powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm is young Taylor Swift. At only 22 years of age, she has moved mountains by becoming a singer and songwriter. Her achievements include 6 GRAMMY Awards, 10 American Music Awards, 7 Country Music Association Awards, 6 Academy of Country Music Awards and 13 BMI Awards. The Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame have both honored her. She has sold over 23 million albums and 54.5 million song downloads worldwide.
Taylor has also explored the world of acting and made her mark on television and the film industry. At such a young age, Swift now has an estimated net worth of over $165 million. What makes Taylor so unique is that no matter how successful she has become, she has not let fame change her and her fans are her most important asset. She takes time to salute them at the concerts she performs and keeps them near and dear to her heart. She does not forget where she started and thanks them for sending her to the top. Swift is also a philanthropist and supports art education, children’s literacy, natural disaster relief funds, LGBT rights and charities for sick children. She is back out on tour and it was announced that she will be part of the lineup at the Times Square Festivities in New York City on New Year’s Eve. Taylor Swift has many more years to continue her success but she has already come very far to be identified as one of the most powerful women alive.
It is amazing how Oprah Winfrey has seemed to command attention and intrigue for over a decade. She has built her own empire with a television network all of her own. Having gone through a difficult childhood, she never let that hold her back. She began her career in radio and carried that to the highest mountain as she has been credited with popularizing and revolutionizing the tabloid talk show genre. She is outspoken, honest and sometimes controversial but that has been what has made her so admired and revered. Her multi-award winning talk show became the highest -rated program of its kind ever in history and became nationally syndicated.
Winfrey has co-authored 5 books and publishes a hit magazine, “O, The Oprah Magazine”. This led to the establishment of the Oprah.com website providing resources and interactive content relating to her shows, magazines, book club and public charity. Oprah has earned a myriad of titles. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th Century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history and according to some assessments, is the most influential woman in the world. Oprah Winfrey continues to hold a type of magical power over the world.
There is one woman of politics that certainly knows what powerful means and continues to dominate what has previously been classified as a man’s world. Hillary Clinton has been a political giant in the last four years. Introduced to the public in 1983 as the First Lady, Hillary stood by her husband, President Bill Clinton, through thick and thin. Now she is coming to the end of her term as Secretary of State with a reputation as a no-nonsense diplomat. She has traveled to 42 countries in 2012 alone and some of the issues that have kept her extremely busy including urging Syrian President Bashar Assad to hand over power and leave his country and also warning North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, to follow a different course than his father.
Clinton has a strong sense of commitment and pride. It has been said that she has shaped and executed policy on major issues with adept public diplomacy. She has carried out her four years of duty with dependability and a flair and in turn, this has earned her universal admiration both here at home and internationally. Hillary Clinton plans to step down at the end of this year but will we see her run for President in 2016? It is anyone’s guess.
Perhaps not as visible as some of the other women, that doesn’t discredit another powerhouse, Dr. Helene D. Gayle. Gayle is currently President and CEO of CARE USA, a leading humanitarian aid organization fighting global poverty. Her professional career has amassed huge praise and veneration. She has directed the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, focusing primarily on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Gayle holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.D. and M.P.H.. She is also board certified in pediatrics. Helene has also served as Chair of the Obama Administration Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Gayle has served on numerous boards, published a number of scientific articles and has served as co-chair of the Center of Strategic & International Studies Commission on Smart Global Health Policy. She has even been honored with awards from Columbia University Spelman College and many more. She has led CARE on the ground to help more than a million people in need in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Her responsibilities include overseeing an annual budget of $626 million to aid over 122 million people in 84 worldwide countries. Dr. Gayle’s efforts have targeted some of the most dire and crucial health problems that have ever existed across the globe. It is no wonder that Dr. Helene Gayle has been called one of the top female leaders and global thinkers ever.
The media and fashion industries are an extensive field that have seen some very powerful women as well:
Arianna Huffington is Editor-In-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. Through tireless devotion, she has brought her online newspaper, The Huffington Post, to the forefront of the media industry. This year all the hard work paid off as it won its first Pulitzer Prize in national reporting solidifying its place in an evolving news landscape. Since this award was bestowed on the publication, Huffington is totally focusing her energies on expanding the site. It has gone global read all across the world. Digital drives our future and Arianna Huffington moved with the times to start a new iPad-only magazine, Huffington, with original and long-form features. She is thinking out of the box and her influence continues to build and inspire.
When a designer earns praise from Anna Wintour, they know they have come far. Her power over her audience is simply amazing and her knowledge of her industry has earned high accolades of praise and respect. Wintour has been Editor-In-Chief of American Vogue for almost 25 years now. She can be labeled as an institution in the fashion world. She has intrigued many and a day in the life of Wintour was filmed as part of a documentary of her non-stop professional life as well as it was thought that ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was a film that referenced the life of the media giant. This year she mixed fashion with politics as she stood firm with her support of President Obama and even co-hosted a $40,000 a-plate dinner for his campaign with Sarah Jessica Parker. She has brought Vogue to be one of the top magazines in the world as it reaches 11.4 million readers in print and an average 1.2 million monthly online visitors. The digital archives of the magazine date back 120 years. Anna also serves as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Anna Wintour is a woman of power and prestige who commands results.
Diane Von Furstenberg has created an empire with her design intelligence. She receives top billing and shows to a sold-out crowd each and every Fashion Week. She rose to design fame with her jersey and wrap dress and her career has progressed to the ultimate level of style and sophistication. Her designs have been worn by Michelle Obama, Duchess of Cambridge, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and more. Her heart always lies in the Fashion Capitol of the World, New York City, where she has resided for years. This year has proven to be one of great accomplishment for Diane. In June, she was elected to serve her 4th term as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. This is a very momentous position as she oversees 427 fashion designers on the board. Her creativity in fashion is going down a new avenue as she teams up with women’s lifestyle brand, ROXY, collaborating on a swimwear line for a launch in 2013. Von Furstenberg was called upon to design a limited edition 2013 EVIAN Water limited edition bottle. What is so astonishing about this Belgian-born designer is how she started her career with little capital and backing but has now climbed to the top of the world with a power that commands attention. In addition, in 2005, Diane received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for her everlasting impact on fashion. She also helped in the establishment of the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, protecting designers from counterfeit reproductions of their work. Diane Von Furstenberg is a role model for women of all ages and although she is a driven career-minded woman, she is quoted as saying “Children are my greatest creation.” She is married with two children and four grandchildren.
Perhaps the youngest but holding on to a miraculous amount of courage is the young girl from Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai. Malala knew the importance of education. She was outspoken and campaigned vigorously at a very young age for education and its importance. Shot by the Taliban for her expression of her strong beliefs, she is still undergoing treatment but recovering nicely at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed by any means. In fact, people around the world are uniting for ‘Malala and the 32 million girls day’ in her honor as part of a global day of action for girls’ education. Malala is only 15 years old with the wiseness of a woman way beyond her young years. She not only is a huge symbol of courage but she has also brought about a global effort to ensure that Pakistan builds schools, trains teachers, provides learning materials and ensures that there is no discrimination against girls. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that three million children in poor families in Pakistan will receive cash in return for going to school. The ultimate goal is to have every girl and boy receive quality education with teachers, books and classrooms by 2015. Malala Yousafzai is a shining example for all the women of our world.
A big round of applause to all these women who have shaped our world.
PHOTO CREDITS: A/P, Forbes
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