Forbes ranks Japan PM Takaichi third in the list of world's most powerful women; EU's Ursula von der Leyen is first

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a budget committee session at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. -- Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

TOKYO (Bernama-Kyodo): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was ranked the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine on Wednesday as the United States publication announced its list of the top 100 influential women for 2025.

Japan's first female premier ranked behind Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde, while Takaichi's Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni was placed fourth.