There are many great female leaders of the modern day that we could talk about, but we wanted to share with you our seven favourites. These inspiring women have had a positive impact on the world and we think they are worth celebrating. Whether it is through their work in politics, business or social activism, these women have shown what is possible when women unite.
Quick answer: our seven are Sanna Marin, Jacinda Ardern, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Christiana Figueres, Katrina Lake, Tsai Ing-wen and Jane Goodall. Between them they cover politics, business, climate action and conservation.
Sanna Marin was Prime Minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023 and, at 34 when she took office, one of the youngest world leaders. Marin has been a strong advocate for climate change action and has pushed for more gender equality in Finnish politics.
Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023 and is our personal fave. She has been a powerful voice for change. She is known for her compassionate leadership during times of crisis, such as the Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2019 eruption on Whakaari (White Island).
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, a dating app that is empowering women to have control of the men they speak to. Wolfe Herd is also an advocate for women in the tech industry and she is working to create a more inclusive environment. Whitney co-created Tinder, and after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company, she decided to create her own company that would protect women.
Christiana Figueres led UN Climate Change as its Executive Secretary from 2010 to 2016. She was a driving force behind the Paris Agreement and has helped to make climate change a global priority. Christiana is known for her passion and determination in the fight against climate change. She persuaded 195 countries to commit to keeping a global temperature rise this century below two degrees Celsius.
Katrina Lake is the founder of Stitch Fix, a personalised clothing service that helps both men and women find clothes they love. Prior to starting Stitch Fix, Lake had no experience in fashion or retail but she was able to create a multi-billion dollar company. Lake is a champion for women in the tech industry and she has been recognised as one of Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women.
Tsai Ing-wen became the first female leader of Taiwan when she was elected in 2016. She is known for her progressive policies, such as same-sex marriage and environmental protection. Some of the environmental impacts she's had include banning single-use plastics and increasing the use of renewable energy.
Jane Goodall, who died in 2025, was a world-renowned primatologist and conservationist. She is best known for her work with chimpanzees but she also worked to protect other animals, such as elephants. Goodall was a powerful advocate for animal rights and she founded many organisations dedicated to conserving the natural world.
These are only 7 of an endless number of inspirational leaders in the world. It would be great to hear which women inspire you as hopefully together we can help give women the platform to be appreciated.
Flissie x
