14 women leaders in global development

Photo by: Albert González Farran / UN

Anne Paugam CEO

Agence Française de Developpement

Paugam is the 10th — and first female — CEO of the French Development Agency, the country’s main development financing institution.

Photo by: AFD

Christiana Figueres Executive secretary

U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Costa Rican-born Figueres has the challenging task of bringing together nearly 200 negotiators to agree on a global accord governing emissions and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Photo by: UNFCCC

Ertharin Cousin Executive director World Food Program

The former U.S. ambassador to U.N. food agencies in Rome now leads the world’s largest humanitarian agency combating hunger. WFP serves about 90 million people per year in more than 70 countries, including nations that host Syrians displaced by the ongoing civil conflict.

Photo by: J.M. Ferre / UNHCR

Helen Clark Administrator

United Nations Development Program

As UNDP chief, the former New Zealand prime minister is the third-highest-ranking U.N. official, co-chairs the U.N. System Task Team on the Post-2015 U.N. Development Agenda and chairs the U.N. Development Group, which seeks to boost the effectiveness of U.N. development activities at the country level.

Photo by: Erick-Christian Ahounou S. / UNDP

Judith Rodin President

The Rockefeller Foundation

Under Rodin, The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the oldest charities focused on global development, has undergone a reinvention, supporting innovative financing tools such as development impact bonds.

Photo by: Ami Torfason / PopTech

Julie Bishop Minister for Foreign Affairs

Australia

Bishop is the first female Australian foreign minister. She also oversees the country’s foreign aid program, following AusAID’s reintegration into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in November 2013.

Photo by: Australian DFAT

Justine Greening Secretary of state for international development United Kingdom

The trained accountant was named by BBC Radio 4 as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom in 2013. She’s advancing the Cameron administration’s goals to increase private sector engagement in global development and get better value for money from foreign aid spending.

Photo by: Russell Watkins / DfID

Kristalina Georgieva

European commissioner for international cooperation,

humanitarian aid and crisis response

For her quick and effective response to the Haiti and Pakistan humanitarian disasters in 2010, the Bulgarian politician and former World Bank vice president was named the EU Commissioner of the Year and European of the Year by the European Voice newspaper.

Photo by: European Unon

Margaret Chan Director-general World Health Organization

Initially trained as a home economics teacher, the former Hong Kong director of health earned praise for bringing the 1997 avian influenza and 2003 SARS outbreak under control.

Photo by: Presidencia Peru

Melinda Gates Co-chair and trustee Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda Gates has helped bring global attention to family planning and stunting. Together with her husband, she sets the strategic direction of one of the most influential charities in international development.

Photo by: Gates Foundation

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Executive director U.N. Women

Mlambo-Ngcuka is a former member of the South African parliament and was the first woman to hold the position of the country’s deputy president.

Photo by: Julie Lunde Lillesaeter / PRIO

Rania Al Abdullah Queen consort

Jordan

Queen Rania is a known advocate of education, cross-cultural dialogue and microfinance.

Photo by: John Gillespie / Africa Renewal

Valerie Amos Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator United Nations

The English baroness was the first black female member of the U.K. Cabinet: She served as U.K. secretary of state for international development in 2003, though only for less than six months.

Photo by: Nicole Lawrence / UN OCHA

Winnie Byanyima Executive director

Oxfam International

Uganda’s first female aeronautical engineer was a member of the body that drafted the country’s 1995 constitution. She assumed her role as Oxfam International chief in April 2013.

Photo by: European Union

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Photo by: Albert González Farran / UN