International women's day: 5 most powerful women who ruled the world

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The brilliance of women in the field of politics needs no introduction and their contribution to the development of the country can never be overlooked. The number of women in politics and policy has always been relatively small, but even so, their power now feels more tenuous than ever. On the occasion of International Women's Day, it is important to give a shoutout to these powerful ladies for their consistent efforts and strength. 

Here are the top 5 women politicians of the world: 

 Angela Merkel 

Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. She tops the Forbes’ Most Powerful Women list at No. 1 despite announcing that she will step down after her term expires in 2021. She faces open rebellion within her own party, the challenges of Brexit, and a growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe. But despite political tensions, Merkel continues to lead the world’s fourth-largest economy based on GDP and the largest run by a woman.

Theresa May 

Theresa May who since becoming Prime Minister in 2016 has faced the seemingly insurmountable task of successfully negotiating an exit deal between Britain and the EU by the March 2019 deadline. Despite various setbacks in negotiations and harsh criticism back home, May continues to push forward. One way or another, she will go down in history as the Prime Minister who takes the UK out of the EU.

Sheik Hasina Wajed

Sheik Hasina Wajed, the 63-year-old leader of the left-of-center Awami League, has a history of surviving. During a 1975 coup d'état, assassins killed 17 members of her family — including her son, three brothers, mother and father, former Prime Minister Sheik Mujibur Rahman. Hasina, then 28, happened to be abroad at the time. She later survived a grenade attack that killed more than 20 people, dodging the bullets that sprayed her car as she fled. Hasina was first elected Prime Minister in 1996.

Sonia Gandhi 

Sonia Gandhi is currently the interim President of Congress. When Rajiv was assassinated in 1991, Sonia was seen by many as the natural heir to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and she was offered the leadership of the Congress Party. She rejected the offer and refused to discuss politics publicly. She became the longest-serving president in the history of Congress party. Sonia Gandhi was regarded the 3rd most influential woman in the world by the Forbes magazine in 2004 & was ranked 6th in the year 2007. 

Sushma Swaraj 

Sushma Swaraj, at the age of 25, became the youngest state cabinet minister in India. At 27, she became the state president of her party (Janata Party). Later in her career, she became the first woman chief minister of Delhi, the second woman to become the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the first full-time woman external affairs minister of India. She died of a cardiac arrest in New Delhi at the age of 67.