NEW YORK — Female leaders who have stood out for their handling of the coronavirus earned honors on Tuesday in the annual Forbes list of the world’s 100 most powerful women, which highlighted women’s roles in battling the global pandemic.
Women from prime ministers to corporate executives earned spots in the list for their achievements helping mitigate and control the deadly contagious virus, which has infected more than 67 million people and caused 1.54 million deaths, Forbes said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike were particularly effective, it said.
“Where they differ in age, nationality and job description, they are united in the ways they have been using their platforms to address the unique challenges of 2020,” Forbes said on its website.
It quoted Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, also on the list, who said recently that “countries where human rights are respected and where women are able to reach top positions in society are also the countries that are the best-equipped to handle crises by COVID-19.”