Prime Minister Mia Mottley has once again earned international recognition, returning to the Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list for the third consecutive year, ranking No. 99 in 2025 among the globe’s most influential political, business and philanthropic leaders.
Forbes highlights Mottley’s continued global impact, particularly her forceful advocacy on climate change, her diplomatic leadership, and her role in steering Barbados’ constitutional transition.
According to her Forbes profile, Mottley “was elected as Barbados’ prime minister in 2018. When she was sworn in, she became the first woman to hold the role.” The profile also notes her rise as a global leader on climate issues, referencing her 2021 address to the United Nations General Assembly, where she delivered an “impassioned speech” calling for urgent action.
That same year, the United Nations Environment Programme named her a “Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership.” Forbes further underscores her role in Barbados’ historic constitutional shift, noting: “Under her leadership, in November 2021, Barbados officially became a parliamentary republic and removed the Queen of England as its head of state.”
Mia Mottley has appeared on the Forbes Power Women ranking in recent years, including in 2023 and 2024, reinforcing her sustained influence on the global stage. Her continued presence reflects not only her domestic leadership, but also her growing role in shaping international conversations on climate finance, debt reform and global equity—particularly for small island developing states. In 2022, she was named to TIME magazine’s TIME100 list , which recognizes the world’s most influential people.
Her inclusion places her among a global cohort of women shaping economies, diplomacy, technology, philanthropy and cultural influence. She joins a 2025 Power Women list led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at No. 1, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde at No. 2, and Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, at No. 3.
Forbes’ 22nd annual ranking evaluates women across four metrics: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. This year’s list spans 100 women from 17 countries, who collectively command an estimated $37 trillion in economic power and influence the lives of more than a billion people worldwide.
Mottley’s leadership trajectory, the publication notes, began long before her premiership. Her first ministerial appointment came in 1994 as Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, marking the start of a political career that would later carry her to regional and international prominence.
The publication further underscored that her continued appearance on major global rankings reinforces her status as one of the Caribbean’s most visible and influential political figures, often cited for her bold rhetoric on climate justice, global equity and economic reform.
