# Who is the world's most powerful woman? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528 "2022-09-14T01:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/1 "2022-09-14T01:55:14Z")
Who is the most powerful woman in the world right now?👧👩‍🦰👱‍♀️👩‍🦳 ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/2 "2022-09-14T02:13:09Z")
How do you define “powerful”? Physically powerful, or in some other way? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/3 "2022-09-14T02:20:17Z")
In terms of global impact, probably Truss - assuming that she’s entering as a true leader and not a lame duck. On the other hand, the Baltic Sea is surrounded by ladies. If they decided to form a women’s-only coop, they’d have a pretty strong group. The UK is close enough that they could, conceivably, invite her in. ETA: The leader of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, should be notable. However, I’ve never seen her name come up in international news so she seems to either focus domestically or otherwise likes to keep her head down. Power isn’t just about having the position, it’s also about doing something with it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/4 "2022-09-14T02:23:33Z")
Nancy Pelosi. Truss is a nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/5 "2022-09-14T02:29:19Z")
Truss has nukes. Pelosi doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/6 "2022-09-14T02:32:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nancy Pelosi She’s certainly influential but the House is the weaker branch of Congress, they have to spend half or more of their time campaigning - which means that she has to spend much of her time managing the campaign business, and the Speaker’s main real job is just to form a consensus not to make policy. I could probably argue that, at the end of the day, Laura Ingraham or Rachel Maddow are just about as influential in their respective parties as the leaders of the House. The House is deeply answerable to the will of the people, which means that whoever is the dominant thought leader over the people of the major parties is a significant force on the House. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/7 "2022-09-14T03:12:52Z")
Wouldn’t it be the same person who was the most powerful before Elizabeth died? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/8 "2022-09-14T03:22:35Z")
With all of the greatest admiration for QE2, she was not powerful. Admired, respected, etc yes. I think it is because of Truss. Forbes insists it is Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, whom I have never heard of. #2 is VP Harris of course. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/9 "2022-09-14T04:00:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > MacKenzie Scott, whom I have never heard of. Bezos’s ex wife. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/10 "2022-09-14T11:06:57Z")
Jennifer Walters. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/11 "2022-09-14T14:29:06Z")
Lady Gaga? She wields an army. I’d vote PM Truss. While there are women heads of state such as New Zealand’s Ardern, the UK is more of a world power. The UK PM has a larger influence. I’d put VP Harris way down, even below Pelosi. The VP does nothing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/12 "2022-09-14T14:38:14Z")
Oprah? ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/13 "2022-09-14T14:41:27Z")
I would say Oprah’s influence has decreased considerably since she ended her show. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/14 "2022-09-14T15:33:51Z")
At least she won’t be blocking Chicago traffic for one of her dumb shows ever again. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/15 "2022-09-14T15:45:59Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Bezos’s ex wife. Particularly since divorcing Bezos in 2019, Scott has been donating extremely large sums of money to a range of charitable causes, with a focus on on equality, democracy, and climate change. She signed the “Giving Pledge,” indicating that it is her intention to donate most of her fortune to charity. Forbes has also mentioned that she’s been intentionally avoiding the spotlight regarding her giving, wanting to not make it “about her,” which likely also contributes to her low profile. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/16 "2022-09-14T15:49:52Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Lady Gaga? She wields an army. Or Beyonce. From what little I’ve heard, her fans are quite passionate. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/17 "2022-09-14T16:00:24Z")
> [@TheCuse](#): > > Oprah? She’s only 68? I’m 64, but I swear I remember her being on TV when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/18 "2022-09-14T16:04:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > She’s only 68? I’m 64, but I swear I remember her being on TV when I was a kid. She’s been working in TV since the '70s, though originally as a news anchor/reporter. She started hosting a talk show in Chicago in 1984, which became _The Oprah Winfrey Show_ in 1985, and went into national syndication in '86. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/19 "2022-09-14T16:09:29Z")
Wow. My memory is definitely faulty. My mom used to watch Mike Douglas, and I thought Oprah came along around the same era. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528/20 "2022-09-14T16:11:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nancy Pelosi. If she could, would she trade places with Amy Coney Barrett? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-woman/971528.md?page=2)