De Lima named among FT’s 16 most influential women in 2019

December 6, 2019

Senator Leila de Lima was named as one of the Most Influential Women of the Year 2019 by the Financial Times for her courage and determination to defend human rights.

De Lima is the only Filipino who made it to the Financial Times’ roster of different women from different countries who “stood out” for their bold stance on current issues and inspiring advocacies.

“The Filipino senator remains detained over drugs allegations that she and her supporters say were fabricated,” read De Lima’s description on the London-based business newspaper’s Readers’ Women of 2019.

“De Lima had led a human rights investigation against Rodrigo Duterte into alleged extrajudicial killings that took place while he was mayor of Davao City. Her handwritten dispatches from her cell are incisive missives and commentary on the issues the Philippines faces,” the description added.

The Financial Times also named climate activist Greta Thunberg, businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller, former governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeria Gontareva, and journalist Carrie Gracie.

Also cited were New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, US presidential aspirant Sen. Elizabeth Warren, European Union Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, among others.

These 16 women awardees were cited for breaking “new ground in 2019 or brought attention to some of the most important issues of our time, whether in their own community or at a national or international level.” DMS