A tech pioneer and actress-turned-humanitarian has once again dominated the annual study conducted by YouGov on the 20 most admired men and women in the world. Angelina Jolie has earned the top spot for the third year in a row since a separate female category was introduced while her male counterpart, Bill Gates has secured the Most Admired Man in the World ever since the list was inaugurated.
By: Steph Cruz
Spanning across 35 countries and online interviews with over 37,000 people, the results were derived from a combination of responses between two questions. From a multitude of selections, the respondent gets to pick out who they admire and then narrowing it down to the one personality they admire the most. From these results, YouGov was able to determine both the intensity of the support and global reach of the figure.
A powerhouse group of women from the entertainment world prevailed in the list alongside notable figures from politics and activism. From the Queen of all Media to Bollywood’s finest, here are your 2018’s top 20 most admired women in the world.
20. Elizabeth Warren
Closing the 20th spot for the list is the senior Senator for Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren. Warren fights for the middle and working class Americans.
19. Zhao Wei
The Chinese actress, film director, producer and pop singer has been actively involved in charity and disaster relief work like the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. She also launched the V-Love Foundation which aims to provide financial help and support for transplant surgeries of leukemia patients from the ages 3 to 22 years old.
18. Fan Bingbing
Not only is Fan Bingbing a brilliant actor, but she is also a business woman all while finding the time for philanthropy. She co-founded Heart Ali to help finance children suffering congenital heart defects.
17. Yang Mi
Yang Mi is a Chinese actress who received recognition for her leading roles in various television series and ranks third in Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. In a place with no history of philanthropy, Michael Kors enlists Yang Mi as the brand ambassador for Watch Hunger Stop campaign in China in the fight against global hunger.
16. Liu Yifei
After screening nearly 1,000 candidates, Disney has finally casted Liu Yifei as Mulan for its live action remake of the 1998 animated film. Liu Yifei also starred in critically acclaimed films and became the ambassador of China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF). She also contributed donations to the China Children Emergency relief fund to help support children affected and orphaned by the quake.
15. Theresa May
Currently the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2016, Theresa May took over from David Cameron during one of UK’s most unstable times in the recent political history.
14. Gal Gadot
Securing the 14th place in the list is no other than Wonder Woman herself. The Israeli actress leverages the use of social media to advocate for the non-profit organization, Pencils of Promise. Gadot promotes equal access to education for children and raises funds to build schools in underprivileged areas around the world.
13. Deepika Padukone
As one of the highest-paid actresses in the world according to Forbes Magazine, Deepika made her Hollywood debut with xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. She is also an advocate for mental health after battling depression and wants to break the stigma by speaking up to help others struggling with depression. “If I can impact one life in this entire process of speaking up and letting people know that it’s something I have been through and something that I could deal with because I had a fantastic support system.”
12. Priyanka Chopra
Another beauty queen herself, Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra passionately supports causes like human trafficking, slavery,poverty, human rights, child education and women empowerment. She was appointed as the national ambassador for UNICEF to educate children in India in 2010.
11. Aishwarya Rai
Not only was she Miss World in 1994 but Aishwarya is the ambassador of Smile Train, a foundation that helps children with cleft lip or palate and continues to support causes such as HIV and AIDS prevention, marrow and organ donation and helps the mentally and physically challenged people. She also founded the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to gain funds to help and support people in need in India.
10. Madonna
Establishing herself as a pop icon, Madonna uses her platform to to bring an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s 2,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children once through her non-profit organization, Raising Malawi.
9. Taylor Swift
America’s sweetheart is more than her award-winning records and sold-out arena shows, Swift also actively donates to charities and performs at fundraising and benefit concerts.
8. Angela Merkel
She led the transformation of German politics since being voted into office in 2005. The Chancellor steered Germany safely and fended off a long-term recession at the time the global economic crisis hit. Her achievements have seen her top Forbes’ most powerful women list eight times.
7. Malala Yousafzai
Malala is the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a renowned Pakistani activist for female education rights and has been engaged in activist work since she was only 11 years old. Malala was shot in the face by a Taliban gunman and remained in critical condition for several months. After undergoing surgery and rehabilitation, Yousafzai continued giving speeches and her tragic story moved people to support the cause she’s fighting for.
6. Emma Watson
Although gaining popularity at only nine years old for her lead role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, Emma Watson is also a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women and actively fights for women’s rights and gender equality.
5. Hillary Clinton
The Queen of Pantsuits, Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments in the years as the First Lady, Secretary of State and U.S. Senator revolve around health care, the military, and families, especially women and children.
4. Queen Elizabeth II
After completing more than five decades of her reign and being the world’s oldest ruling monarch, Queen Elizabeth has achieved an excellent reputation as a good and wise ruler therefore loved and respected by all her people.
3. Oprah Winfrey
From actress, talk show host, producer, to philanthropist and CEO, Oprah Winfrey is unarguable one of the most influential women in the world. One of her remarkable charities, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation provides grants to not-for-profit organizations while the Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation focuses on the operation of Leadership Academy for Girls.
2. Michelle Obama
The Obama Administration has accomplished a lot during those 8 years in office to move the country forward. Former President Obama’s right hand, Michelle launched a campaign in a nationwide effort to bring awareness and importance to staying healthy and the challenges of childhood obesity. She also created Let Girls Learn with her husband to address the challenges preventing adolescent girls around the world access to quality education.
1. Angelina Jolie
The public’s endless curiosity about her personal life may have made her a tabloid fixture yet it’s worth noting that her charity works and philanthropic efforts don’t go unnoticed as well. Aside from representing United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie has also set up the Maddox Joli-Pitt Foundation to establish healthcare and education opportunities in Cambodia.
-GG
