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The list if of the world top 25 most powerful women has been released!

The list was conducted by Forbes Women, and this year the list has taken a new approach to what makes women powerful. For 2010 the research has not been solely focused on the classic category of politics but has also take in to consideration prestigious women from many walks of life.

Forbes decided it was time to finally take notice and award the broader cultures. Their assessment has focused less on the traditional values, titles and roles of women, and has finally delved into the creative industry and entrepreneurship to find its top 25 most powerful women.

They thought it vital to consider women from all areas of life and honor the successful women that have built up renowned and distinctive companies and brands. Women who have passionately campaigned for causes, and while some women have simply earned their position for smashing through the stale gender barriers of the past.

Forbes divided there search into four main groups, business, politics, media and lifestyle (also known as entertainment, fashion and sports.) They then ranked each candidate within their individual category and then compared group against group. They expressed that this process was not easy but reflects the “unpredictable, diverse mash-up of hard power (currencies and constitutions) and dynamic power (audience and audacity).”

In the past this prestigious list only consisted of the ‘firsts’. The first ever female CEO, the first lady on an Supreme court, first female president etc.

However, Forbes has not completely thrown tradition out of the window, as there are many ”firsts’ to be found lurking on this list.

Nacy pole was the first women speaker of the house, Opra Whinfrey was the first lady to to have have very own cable network. Race car driver Danica Patrick is the one and only lady to have won the Indy Car series and last but not least, Julia Gillard and Johnson Sirleaf are still the first women to have become prime minister of Australia and Africa’s first female president.

Personally it is is very shocking that all these ‘first’ for women have taken so long to happen. It is the year 2010, it just goes to show how slow equal rights for women are taking to catch up.

Here is a brief low down of some for the inspirational women that have made the list of ‘Top 25 Most Powerful Women in the World.’

Michell obama is positioned proudly at the top of the list she has been a huge positive force since taking lodge at the white house in 2008. She became the only African-American women first lady, this has given new hope to the next generation of girls and women all over, Making her an ideal role model. She is a passionate women and fights for what she believes in. She loves to work with young people and adores campaigns for healthy eating, amongst other important issues.

Irene Rosenfeld runs a major food and drink manufacturers and has pledged to cut out 1.5 trillion calories from their products by the year 2015. They set themselves this colossal task to spread the important message of healthy eating. Their plan is to achieve this ambitious goal by inventing new delicious recipes, creating new products and cutting down on portion sizes.

Ellen Degeneres directly connects with 3 million viewers daily, spreading laughter and powerful messages to encourage us to fight against prejudice and make the world a better place, and that is just one hour of her day. Off screen she is seen campaigning for gay rights. Her high energy personality as a television host, her experience as cover girl model and famous for her role on American idol, has resulted in LGBT issues becoming more than just mainstream.

Here is the list of Forbes Top 25 Most Powerful Women in the World

1. Michelle Obama, First Lady, U.S.

2. Irene Rosenfeld, Chief Executive, Kraft Foods

3. Oprah Winfrey, Talk show host and media mogul

4. Angela Merkel, Chancellor, Germany

5. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, U.S.

6. Indra Nooya, Chief Executive, Pepsico

7. Lady Gaga, Singer and performance artist

8. Gail Kelly, Chief Executive, Westpac

9. Beyoncé Knowles, Singer and fashion designer

10. Ellen DeGeneres, Talk show host

11. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, U.S.

12. Angela Braly, Chief Executive, Wellpoint

13. Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Homeland Security, U.S.

14. Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive, Anglo American

15. Sheila Bair, Chair, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

16. Sarah Palin, Political maverick and commentator

17. Mary Schapiro, Chair, Securities and Exchange Commission

18. Ellen Kullman, Chief Executive, DuPont

19. Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court Justice, U.S.

20. Ursula Burns, Chief Executive, Xerox

21. Angelina Jolie, Actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador

22. Katie Couric, News anchor

23. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, Health & Human Services

24. Anne Lauvergeon, Chief Executive, Areva

25. Elena Kagan, Supreme Court Justice, U.S.

I have noticed one women missing of the list that i personally believe has undoubtedly earned her spot near the very top, and i sure many of you will agree with me when i say, where is J.k Rowling???

Just in case you don’t know, J.k Rowling, (also known as Joanne Rowling) is the author of the record smashing Harry Potter Books. She is the first ever self made billionaire author in history, let alone self made female billionaire author.

She has sold over 400 million copies world wide in 200 countries and her work has captivated readers in no less than 69 languages. Her last book ‘Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ was the fasted selling book of all time. No one wonder she has been credited with doing more for literacy than anyone else on the planet.

The harry potter empire spans to record breaking movies, magical merchandise and even a newly opened theme park. The harry potter blockbusters are the highest grossing movie franchise in Hollywood history, raking in 5.3 billions dollars and still counting.

I think it is safe to say that no other author or series of books will ever out do her master pieces.

However it is important to mention that she does not just deserve her place near the top spot for her unbeatable success, she should be honored for her countless other humble and caring qualities.

She has donated millions upon millions to charities as well as setting up her own. She is passionate about all human rights but hold MS (Multiple sclerosis) charities, single parent charities and children charities most close to her heart.

I could ramble on for ever about JK Rowling’s generous nature and what her amazing books have brought to millions, but hopefully by now you can see why she to deserves a place on the Worlds Most Powerful Women Of 2010.