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It’s time to celebrate the world’s most powerful women – Metro US

It’s time to celebrate the world’s most powerful women

In the past few weeks we’ve seen strikes, marches and protests — all in revolt against our pussy-grabber-in-chief.

But perhaps the best way to fight back is with our accomplishments.

Here are 10 badass women who will show you that anything is possible.

1. Melinda Gates

Melinda Gates has become a central figure for philanthropy and global development, donating $4.2 billion in 2015 and more than $36.7 billion in grant payments since she founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband in 2000. Much of her attention is now focused on her new project, which will donate $80 million over the next three years in an effort to close gender data gaps and help accelerate progress for women and girls around the world.

2. Michelle Obama

A graduate from both Princeton and Harvard, Michelle Obama started off as a lawyer, Chicago city administrator and community-outreach worker. Of course that was only the beginning. As first lady she went on to cement her legacy as an advocate for the arts, education, and above all, nutrition, with her nationwide campaign to combat childhood obesity. She’s even been called on to run for president in 2020. (Unfortunately, she’s declined).

3. Guler Sabanci

Guler Sabanci is the first woman to run Sabanci Holding, Turkey’s second-largest conglomerate, with a reported $16.5 billion in revenue in 2015. She began her career at age 23, and was the first female member of the Turkish Industrialists’ & Businessmen’s Association, as well as the first and only female member of the European Round Table of Industrialists. She’s also the founding president of Sabanci University and chairs Turkey’s largest private charity, the Sabanci Foundation.

4. Sheryl Sandberg

A Harvard M.B.A. who was once chief of staff to then Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Sheryl Sandberg has helped boost revenues at Facebook 66 fold since becoming COO in 2008. She’s also written the bestseller: “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead”, which has sold more than a million copies and inspired the global community, LeanIn.org, which she founded to support women striving to reach their ambitions.

5. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

A Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg not only has a position in the highest court in the United States, but has also used her role to advocate for the advancement of women’s rights on constitutional principle. The 83-year-old has been cemented in history as a character on “SNL,” does 20 push-ups a day, and best of all: She doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

6. Chanda Kochhar

The managing director and CEO of ICICI Bank (India’s largest private sector bank) Chanda Kochar is widely recognized for her role in shaping retail banking in India. But that’s only one of her many achievements. She is also currently President of the International Monetary Conference, Deputy Chairperson of the Indian Banks Association, and on the board of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations.

7. Tory Burch

Starting off as a small boutique in Manhattan, Tory Burch’s company has since grown into a global business with more than 160 stores in 30 countries. And the fashion designer has used her entrepreneurial genius for good, launching the Tory Burch Foundation, a company which supports women entrepreneurs through loans, mentorship and education.

8. Oprah Winfrey

Best known for her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (the highest-rated television program of its kind in history) the 63-year old actress, philanthropist, publisher and producer has been dubbed the “Queen of all Media.” In 2013, she was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.

9. Samantha John

After a career-starting stint at Pivotal Labs, Samantha John founded Hopscotch Technologies in 2011. Her app, which teaches young children how to code, has since garnered over 2 million downloads. In an industry dominated by men, the 26-year-old engineer has established herself as a champion for women in STEM fields.

10. Yaa Gyasi

At the age of 26, this Stanford graduate won the National Book Critics Circle’s Award for best first book and the National Book Foundation’s Five Under 35 Award. And that was only after it was published. Yaa Gyasi’s “Homecoming,” which traces the history of two sisters through slavery, earned a seven-figure advance when it was still a draft.