Gisele Pelicot named most influential woman of 2025

Remarkable French grandmother tops The Independent’s list of 50 exceptional women, from campaigners to politicians, businesswomen, TV stars, sports champions and artists

- TARA COBHAM

Gisele Pelicot has been named as The Independent’s most influential woman of 2025 topping the Influence List to mark International Women’s Day.

To coincide with tomorrow’s celebration, the list has been released for a third year running, shining a spotlight on 50 exceptional women from campaigners to politicians, businesswomen to television stars, sports champions to artists and influencers.

All are united by the extraordinary impact they have had on society over the past 12 months, as they push boundaries and break down barriers to shape the world around them.

Leading the list is Ms Pelicot, the remarkable French grandmother and now global icon who has changed the world, especially for sexual violence survivors. Embodying her powerful message that it is the perpetrators, not the victims, who should feel shame for sexual crimes, the 72-year-old bravely chose to waive her anonymity in the horrific mass rape trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men, in which all were convicted of sexually abusing her over the course of a decade after her ex had drugged her.

Ms Pelicot’s lawyer Stephane Babonneau told The Independent she is “honoured” to have been chosen as the most influential woman of the year.

She is joined in the top 10 by the UK’s first woman chancellor Rachel Reeves, 800m Olympic champion runner Keely Hodgkinson, the Princess of Wales as she returns to royal duties following her cancer battle, and Charli XCX, the pioneering pop artist who dominated this year’s Brit Awards with five wins.

Also featured in this year’s list is Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, Chioma Nnadi after she became the first Black woman to edit Vogue, Alex Consani, the world’s first transgender woman to be named Model of the Year, and TV star Nicola Coughlan.