‘GMA 9th most powerful woman’

Criticisms against her notwithstanding, a leading United States-based business magazine has named President Arroyo as the ninth most powerful woman in the world and the fourth most powerful woman in Asia.

Culling from a database of 300 political, social and business leaders, Forbes chose 100 women "who are changing not only the societies in which they operate, but also the role of women in power."

"The Forbes 100 women have faced a multitude of problems: house arrest, stopping corporate or political scandals, fighting globe-threatening illnesses and human rights abuses, and working in the most dangerous places in the world," the magazine said in a statement.

Forbes also said most of the women on the list, which is the basis of a special report in its Sept. 6 issue, "would also qualify for a list of the most powerful people in the world and they have done so by making a refreshing break from the conventional wisdom about women and power," that women can only gain power by working behind the scenes and forging consensus.

"Not anymore — they are already several rounds into the fight to change the businesses they work at, the societies in which they live and the world," it said.

In citing the 57-year-old Mrs. Arroyo, Forbes noted that by the time she became president of the Philippines in January 2001, she "was already ensconced in her country’s power elite."

"Arroyo was re-elected to the Senate in 1995 with the highest number of votes in her country’s history. Soon after, she was elected vice president of the Philippines with a huge mandate, almost 13 million votes. Arroyo was sworn in as the 14th president of the Philippines in 2001, only the second woman to be voted president of her country," the magazine said on its website, www.forbes.com.

At Malacañang, the President expressed elation yesterday to her being listed among the top 10 most powerful women.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo was "honored" by her inclusion in the Forbes list.

"It’s an honor for her to be considered in the list. Forbes is a prestigious publication read by the top decision-makers in the world," Bunye said.

"It must also be pointed out that our President is cognizant of her role in this crucial period in our history and she exercises this power with great humility and responsibility," he said.

The Forbes list of the world’s 100 most powerful women was topped by Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser of US President George W. Bush.

Wu Yi, the influential former trade minister of China, was number two, while Sonia Gandhi, president of India’s ruling Congress Party, came in third.

In fourth place was US First Lady Laura Bush, followed by Senator Hillary Clinton and US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Another US Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was in seventh place, trailed by Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri (8), and Hewlett-Packard chairwoman and chief executive Carleton Fiorina (10).

Among the other Asian women in the list are Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia (14), New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark (43), Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga (44), Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel laureate Ang San Suu Kyi (45).

Singapore’s Ho Ching, who runs state investment arm Temasek Holdings, was No. 24, reflecting her influence as manager of the city-state’s multibillion-dollar global business empire.

Ho, the media-shy wife of Singapore’s new Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was a notable non-politician in the list.

Peng Peiyun, president of the All-China Women’s Federation, was No. 47 in the list, while Xie Qihua, chairwoman and president of the Shanghai Baosteel Group, was in 55th place.

Mary Ma Xuezheng, senior vice president and chief financial officer of China’s The Legend Group, was in 80th place.

Forbes, in making the list, created a "power scorecard," which they admitted was arbitrary but "turned up lots of surprising names often overlooked."

It cited Frenchwoman Christine Lagarde (76) as an example of a woman who broke through the glass ceiling. As the chairwoman of the giant international law firm Baker & McKenzie, Lagarde, 48, oversees a network of more than 3,000 lawyers in 38 countries around the world.

"For each candidate we came up with a numerical weight defined by her title and résumé; the size of the economic sphere in which she wields power (a foundation is measured by its endowment, a country by its gross domestic product); and the number of global media mentions," the magazine said.

Forbes also "threw in some subjective adjustments — more weight to a current head of state than a former one, for instance." To help vet candidates, the magazine also sought the help of experts who study women at Catalyst, a non-profit research group in New York, and Laura Liswood, secretary-general of the Council of Women World Leaders.

The list also included heiresses, media and entertainment personalities, queens and the wives of political leaders.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was 21st on the list, while Britain’s first lady, Cherie Blair, was No. 12.

Queen Rania of Jordan was in 13th place, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 22nd place and television host Barbara Walters was in 25th place. — AFP, Marichu Villanueva