Forty inspiring women: each year, the online magazine FemaleOneZero’s “Forty over Forty” listicle honors female pioneers from all fields, be it politics, science, arts, activism, or business – and I’m proud to say that this year, I have been added to the list!

In 2021, “Forty over Forty” focused particularly on women who create opportunities for other women to thrive. And the list really delivers on that promise: From politicians like Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, who I had the pleasure to talk to in my podcast “Die Boss”, to journalists like Annette Ramelsberger or Katja Berlin, from artists and actresses like Natalia Wörner and Jagoda Marinić to business leaders like Tuesday Porter and Christine Regitz – the diversity of the women on this list is astonishing. And so are their achievements: Professor Marylyn Addo, for instance, has developed a vector-based vaccine for Ebola and is currently working on one for COVID-19. With her initiative “Die Astronautin”, aerospace engineer Claudia Kessler is aiming to send the first female German astronaut into space. Professor Monika Schnitzer has been advising the German government for 20 years and is currently one of two women on the German Council of Economic Experts.

I could go on and on about the successes of these women who have one thing in common: They are working to change the world – and are true role models. In times when the number of women in leadership positions is not only not growing but in fact declining in Germany, we need these role models more than ever. After all, it’s hard to be what you can’t see.

It’s an honor for me to be named alongside all these extraordinary women, many of whom inspire me personally, too. I encourage you to read the full list here!