Most Admired Women!!!
Admiration refers to acknowledging and respecting someone. Be it their field of work or the causes they advocate for.
Women have been trying to come against barriers in this patriarchal world. They hold the ability to nurture and care but additionally to speak up for what is right.
They continue to inspire people daily but, who is admired for it the most?
Is it a politician, singer, or advocate? What causes do they believe in? Keep reading to find out!
This list is taken out from the YouGov survey, according to Elle magazine.
Quick Overview
No. |
Name |
 Occupation |
1. |
Michelle Obama |
 Attorney, Author |
2. |
Angelina Jolie |
 Actress, Advocate |
3. |
Taylor Swift |
 Singer-Songwriter |
4. |
Queen Elizabeth IIÂ |
Queen |
5. |
Emma Watson |
Actress |
6. |
Madonna |
Singer |
7. |
Deepika Padukone |
Actress |
8. |
Yang Mi |
Actress |
9. |
Malala Yousufzai |
Advocate |
10Â |
Sushmita Sen |
 Actress, Advocate |
11. |
Hillary Clinton |
Politician |
12. |
Priyanka Chopra |
 Actress |
12. Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is an actress, model, and film producer born in Jamshedpur, Bihar, India, in July 1982.
In 2000, Yukta Mookhey also from India crowned her Miss World 2000 when she hadn’t even completed college!
After her win, Chopra started receiving film offers immediately. Her first film Tamizhan was a hit that opened more doors for her in the film industry.
In 2015, after experimenting with many genres in Bollywood, Priyanka signed a talent holding deal with ABC Studios.
ABC later cast her in the American thriller series Quantico as the lead character Alex Parrish.
Critics praised her for her performance as Alex, and the series received a positive review. Chopra became the first South Asian to headline in an American network drama series.
Furthermore, Priyanka has established her foundation, “The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education,” which supports unprivileged children across the country.
She has won more than a hundred awards, and presenters have nominated her for many more. However, her most prestigious win is the Padma Shri which is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
11. Hillary Clinton
On number 11 is Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. Born in Chicago, Illinois, the U.S, in October 1947, she is a politician, diplomat, lawyer, writer, and public speaker.
She served as the 67th United States Secretary from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senator of New York from 2001 to 2009, and as the first lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001.
The politician joined the Democratic political party in 1968. When she won the Democratic party nomination in 2016, Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president of the United States by a major political party
Furthermore, Clinton joined her husband as named members of the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation in 2013.
The foundation focused on early childhood development efforts and an initiative called “Too Small to Fail” to encourage the enrollment of girls in secondary schools worldwide.
Hillary has won numerous awards and has been listed as the Most Powerful and Influential Person by leading magazines like Forbes and Elle.
10. Sushmita Sen
Next up, we have Sushmita Sen. She is an Indiana actress and a model. Sen won the Miss Universe title in 1984 and was crowned Femina Miss India in 1994 at the age of 18!
Born on 19th November 1975, in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, she was the first woman to win the competition and has since worked continuously in Hindi films.
In 1996, she made her debut in the film industry with Dastak, in which she played the victim of a stalker.
Since then, she has played a significant role in the Bollywood industry. Sen also starred in a Bengali drama film titled Nirbaak.
She later adopted two girls in 2000 and 2010. Furthermore, Sushmita has Addison’s disease, which makes her health rely on steroid drugs for her lifetime. She has constantly been trying to spread awareness on this topic.
Moreover, she has won 16 major awards out of 20 nominations overall.
9. Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai was born in July 1997 in Mingora, Khyber Pakhtun, Pakistan. She is a Pakistani activist. The activist was the youngest person to win the Nobel Prize at the age of 17!
She also advocates for human rights, especially the education of women and children in her native Swat Valley, Pakistan.
Taliban Pakistan had banned girls from attending school and because of Malala, this issue turned into an international movement.
In 2012, while riding on a bus after an exam, she and two other girls were shot in an attempt to retaliate against her activism.
Malala was hit in the head and was in a critical condition.
Moreover, after her recovery, she voiced the importance of education and became a prominent activist.
She later co-founded the non-profit organization, Malala Fund, with Shiza Sahid. In 2013, she co-authored I am Malala which became an international bestseller.
Yousafzai has won the 2014 Peace Prize and National Youth Peace Prize from Pakistan amongst all her awards.
Many articles have also been written about her bravery by international magazines.
8. Yang Mi
Next up on our list is Yang Mi. Born in September 1986 in Xuanwu District, Beijing, China, she is an actress, singer, and television producer.
Just at the age of four, in 1990, Mi made her acting debut in the television series Tang Ming Huang!
Later, she gained more popularity in television series in the late 2000s with lead roles in dramas like Strange Tales of Liaozhai and The Return of the Condor Heroes.
Furthermore, Mi has established her agency, JayWalk Studio, in collaboration with H&R Century Pictures. She has over 110 million followers on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform.
Yang has been nominated for around 65 awards and has won 30 out of them!
7. Deepika Padukone
At number seven is Deepika Padukone. She is a film producer and one of the highest-paid actresses in India.
Time named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2018.
Born in January 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark, she made her acting debut in 2006 as a title character of the Kannada film Aishwarya.Â
Furthermore, she started her career in the Bollywood industry in the superhit film Om Shanti Om for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
Later in 2017, she marked her first project in Hollywood alongside superstar Vin Diesel in XXX: Return of Xander Cage.
Deepika is the founder of the Live Love Laugh Foundation, which creates awareness on mental health.
She is also very vocal about feminism and depression and has written columns and designed her clothing line.
She has won 26 major awards and has been nominated for over 31 of them.
6. Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an actress and singer-songwriter. Born on 16th August 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, U.S, she is one of the most influential people in popular culture and has been referred to as the “Queen of Pop.”
The audience has noted Madonna for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation.
The singer is also known for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while maintaining control over every aspect of her career.
Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated controversy and critical acclaim.
Furthermore, she rose to stardom in 1983 with her debut studio album Madonna which followed more of multiple hits.
She has a net worth of $800 million. Moreover, Guinness World Records has acknowledged her as the best-selling female music artist of all time.
Billboard named her as the Most Successful Solo Artist in the Hot 100 chart history. She has won 256 awards and has been nominated for over 656 of them.
5. Emma Watson
Next up, we have Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson. She is an English actress and activist. Born in April 1990 in Paris, France, she has been ranked amongst the World’s Highest-Paid Actresses by Forbes and Vanity Fair.
She made her acting debut starring Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter film series at the age of 9!
In 2014, she helped launch the U.N. women campaign HeforShe, which advocates for gender equality.
Women Goodwill Ambassador Watson has also been an active supporter of sustainable brands such as People Tree.
Later, she starred in movies such as Little Women and Ballet Shoes which were major hits. Furthermore, Emma has won 24 awards and has been nominated for over 71 awards.Â
4. Queen Elizabeth II
The next admired woman is not just a celebrity, but is a royal! Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is the Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 of either Commonwealth realms.
Born on April 1926 in Mayfair, London, United Kingdom, the archbishop coronated her on June 1953 at the age of 23.
She was home-schooled during the succession of her paternal grandfather alongside her only sister Princess Margaret.
Also called “Lilibet” by her close friends and family, she became appointed as an honorary 2nd subaltern within the Auxiliary Territorial Service with service number 230873 in February 1945.
The Queen was trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander after World War II. She had contributed significantly to the war as well.
The Queen is a patron of over 600 organizations and charities. House of Commons estimated that she had helped raise over $1.916 billion during her reign.
Read About: Queen Elizabeth’s Net Worth & Lifestyle
3. Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, and director. She debuted through her eponymous studio album, which included chart-toppers Our Song and Should’ve Said No.
Born in December 1989 in West Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S., she rose to mainstream fame with her second studio album, Fearless, whose five songs came under Billboard Hot 100 top 5.
Furthermore, the singer has impressed many with her versatility by making music in pop, country, rock, folk, and alternative genres.
Taylor has secured seven number ones and 29 top tens in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100!
She has released nine studio albums, out of which 8 have significant hits.
However, Swift had to re-record her albums over a dispute of ownership with Big Machine Labels. Taylor has completed re-recordings of Red and Fearless, which she likes to call Taylor’s version.
Taylor Swift has won 430 awards and has been nominated for 924 of them! Out of which include ten Grammy wins and 41 Grammy nominations. She was also the youngest for winning the Grammy Album of the Year at the age of 20.
2. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie Voight is a humanitarian, actress, and filmmaker. Born in April 2012 in Los Angeles, California, the United States, she has been named Hollywood’s highest-paid actress multiple times.
The actress made her screen debut as a child in Lookin’ to Get Out alongside her father in 1982. However, her film career began a decade later with a low-budget movie, Cyborg 2.Â
In 1999, she won the Academy Award for Best-Supporting Actress in Girl Interrupted.Â
However, her leading role in Lara Croft: Tom Raider established her as a leading actress in the industry.
She has since then played in a range of movies. Maleficient is one of her best works, where she portrays the role of a fairy whose love of her life deceives her, and she tries to exact revenge.
Besides her film career, she is known for her humanitarian efforts, for which she received a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She promotes various causes such as conservation, education, and women’s rights.Â
Various media outlets have cited Jolie as one of the Most Influential People in the American film industry and as the Most Beautiful Woman. Moreover, she has won 60 awards and has been nominated for 148 of them!
1. Michelle Obama
On the top of our list is Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. She is an attorney who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 alongside her husband, President Barak Obama.
Michelle was the first African-American woman to fill this position.
Born in January 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., she is a part of the Democratic political party. In her early legal career, she worked in several non-profits and was the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago.Â
Furthermore, Obama is a role model for women and advocates for poverty awareness, nutrition, education, physical activity, and healthy eating.
The attorney supported American designers and is also considered a fashion icon.
Michelle topped Gallup Poll of the Most Admired Woman for straight three years including in 2020. Various media outlets have named her the Most Fashionable and Influential Person.
Moreover, Obama released her book Becoming in 2018 November. The book sold over 11.5 million copies in just a year!