The powerful Rousseff
The world's 100 most powerful women
Forbes 100 most powerful women list is topped by Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel, secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff.
The women who matter most are politicians, CEOs, bankers, cultural icons, billionaires and entrepreneurs. A fresh look at power as reach and influence.
Among the politicians are also listed the Indian National Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi (7th), the U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (8th), the Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez (17th).
And there are also artists, including the eccentric Lady Gaga, who occupies the 11th place, the singer Beyonce (18th), the actress Angelina Jolie (29th), the supermodel Gisele Bündchen (60th).
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Rousseff's profile :
Dilma Rousseff made news when she was elected to lead Latin America's largest economy in October, but in many ways the election result was not a surprise. As the first female chief of Staff under reformist president Lula da Silva, appointed in 2005, she was widely expected to be his successor. It is her rise to that post that is remarkable. Involved in Latin America's radical labor politics, Rousseff was jailed for two years. In 2001, when she was appointed Minister of Energy, Rousseff began to alter her views towards a more a pragmatic and capitalist approach. Today she is battling a rebellious National Congress threatening to halt her agenda and Brazil's economic boom.
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