Angela Merkel #1: Chancellor of Germany since 2005, Angela Merkel is the most powerful woman in the world. (Photo by Getty Images)
Dilma Rousseff #2: Brazil president Dilma Rousseff is ranked second in the Forbes list. Rousseff, ranked the third most powerful woman in 2012. (Photo by Getty Images)
Melinda Gates #3: Co chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates is ranked third most powerful woman globally by Forbes this year. (Photo by Getty Images)
Michelle Obama #4: The First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama is ranked fourth most powerful woman globally by the Forbes. (Photo by Getty Images)
Hillary Clinton #5: Described by Forbes as one of the most watched and listened-to women on the planet, Hillary Clinton is ranked fifth most powerful woman globally by the magazine. She was second in the Forbes list while also making it to the top 20 of the most powerful people in the world last year. (REUTERS)
Sheryl Sandberg #6: Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of one of the most powerful social networking sites, Facebook is the sixth most powerful woman in the Forbes list this year. Ranked tenth last year, Sandberg is credited for the increase in company's U.S. mobile revenue in 2012. (REUTERS)
Christine Lagarde #7: Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the seventh most powerful woman in the world. Lagarde became the first woman to run the IMF as she assumed office. (REUTERS)
Janet Napolitano #8: Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, United States is the eighth most powerful woman in the Forbes list this year. (REUTERS)
Sonia Gandhi #9: United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi is ranked ninth in the Forbes list of 100 most powerful women globally. (AFP)
Indra Nooyi #10: PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi is the second Indian name to feature in this year's Forbes list of 100 most powerful women globally. (Photo by Getty Images)