--- description: Fame and influence are not the same thing title: Here Are 13 of the World’s Most Influential Women You Don’t Know Yet image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [TIME 100](/tag/time-100/) ## TIME 100 Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here Are 13 of the World’s Most Influential Women You Don’t Know Yet by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2016 11:00 AM CUT by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 21, 2016 11:00 AM CUT You already know about the Power Women: the celebrities and moguls, the world leaders and dignitaries, the stars who can dominate a news cycle with a single tweet. Lots of these women—like [Nicki Minaj](http://time.com/4298230/nicki-minaj-2016-time-100/ "undefined"), [Caitlyn Jenner](http://time.com/4301820/caitlyn-jenner-2016-time-100/ "undefined"), [Hillary Clinton](http://time.com/4302333/hillary-clinton-2016-time-100/ "undefined") and [Angela Merkel](http://time.com/4301295/angela-merkel-2016-time-100/ "undefined")—are on this year’s [TIME 100](http://time.com/collection/2016-time-100/ "undefined"). But influence and fame are not the same thing, and this year’s list also includes women whose impact far exceeds their fame. You may not know who they are (yet). Here’s why you should. ### Jaha Dukureh  NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 01: Honoree Jaha Dukureh attends the L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth 2015 Celebration - Inside at The Pierre Hotel on December 1, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for L'Oreal Paris) Neilson Barnard—Getty Images The [Gambian activist](http://time.com/4301327/jaha-dukureh-2016-time-100/ "undefined") is a leader in the fight to end female genital mutilation, a practice that affects more than 200 million girls worldwide. Dukureh herself was [cut in Gambia when she was just about a week](http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/03/world/gambian-american-opposes-female-genital-mutilation/ "undefined") old. At 15, she was sent to the United States to marry a much older and unknown man. When she got married, she learned that she had been subjected to the most extreme form of genital mutilation: her clitoris and labia had been removed, and her vagina had been stitched shut with only a small hole for urination and menstruation. Now remarried and the mother of three, she’s leading a movement to end female genital mutilation worldwide, and raising awareness about the the practice in the United States: after her [Change.org petition](https://www.change.org/p/end-fgm-now-protect-girls-from-getting-cut-and-support-victims-of-female-genital-mutilation-in-the-usa "undefined") got more than 220,000 signers, the Obama administration announced it would commission a report to study the problem. ### Dr. Laura Esserman and Dr. Shelley Hwang  Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast cancer surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, in front of a wall of tiles created by patients sharing their experiences with cancer at the Women's Health Center in San Francisco, July 14, 2015\. Esserman is one of the most vocal proponents of the idea that breast cancer screening brings with it overdiagnosis and overtreatment. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux; Evan Kafka for TIME [These oncologists](http://time.com/4299646/laura-esserman-and-shelley-hwang-2016-time-100/ "undefined") are pioneering an approach to breast cancer that is more personalized and far [less invasive](http://time.com/4057310/breast-cancer-overtreatment/ "undefined") than the current standard treatment options. They’re on the front lines of a medical movement that now questions whether difficult repeated surgeries and radiation for early-stage breast cancer, known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), should be the standard of care or whether active surveillance and certain drugs may be sufficient to contain these pre-tumors in some women. Since 20-25% of breast cancers diagnosed through screening are DCIS, Dr. Esserman and Dr. Hwang’s research could affect how breast cancer is treated for thousands of women, and could help prevent needless mastectomies. ### Christiana Figueres  Christiana Figueres.Paris, le 15 octobre 2015. Frederic Stucin The [Costa Rican diplomat](http://time.com/4299640/christiana-figueres-2016-time-100/ "undefined") was appointed the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010\. She’s orchestrated successful international climate conferences, including the landmark Paris meeting in 2015\. The Paris Agreement, which [requires nearly 200 countries](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/ "undefined") to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and invest in addressing climate change, has been widely hailed as the most ambitious climate agreement in history. ### Guo Pei  Chinese designer Guo Pei acknowledges the audience at the end of her show during the 2016 spring/summer Haute Couture collection on January 27, 2016 in Paris. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP / MIGUEL MEDINA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images) Miguel Medina—AFP/Getty Images One of China’s most [daring and prolific](http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/year-of-the-couturiere/?%5Fr=1 "undefined") [fashion designers](http://time.com/4299640/christiana-figueres-2016-time-100/ "undefined") is taking the international fashion scene by storm. Known for fantastical designs inspired by the Chinese Imperial Court, Pei designed Rihanna’s famous fur-lined yellow gown with the enormous train from the 2015 Met Gala. Despite her massive following in China, [Pei had not shown her work in a major fashion](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/fashion/guo-pei-couture-paris.html "undefined") show until January, when she debuted at Paris Fashion Week. ### Mona Hanna-Attisha  Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center who exposed Flint, Michigan's high lead levels in the water supply, testifies during a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 10, 2016\. / AFP / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images The [Flint pediatrician](http://time.com/4301337/marc-edwards-and-mona-hanna-attisha-2016-time-100/ "undefined") was one of the first to connect the [dots between the elevated lead levels in Flint water ](http://time.com/4188328/the-poisoning-of-an-american-city/ "undefined")and health problems in children. As the complaints of Flint parents fell on deaf ears, Dr. Hanna-Attisha was one of the main whistleblowers alerting the public to the [Flint water crisis, ](http://time.com/4198671/flint-water-crisis-lawsuits/?iid=sr-link6 "undefined")which is thought to have affected more than [8,000 children under the age of 6.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/opinion/sunday/the-future-for-flints-children.html "undefined") Thanks to her research and activism, [officials are now facing criminal charges](http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/health/flint-water-crisis-charges/ "undefined") for allowing Flint children to drink contaminated water. ### Hope Jahren  Matt Ching The University of Hawaii [geochemist and geobiologist](http://time.com/4301342/hope-jahren-2016-time-100/ "undefined") is known for her research using stable isotope analysis to analyze fossil forests. She made waves this year with [Lab Girl, ](http://www.amazon.com/Lab-Girl-Hope-Jahren-ebook/dp/B00Z3FYQS4 "undefined")a bestselling memoir about [botany and her life as a scientist, ](http://time.com/4276980/hope-jahren-lab-girl-interview/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined")that doubled as a call to action to protect the Earth’s plant life. She’s also been [outspoken](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/opinion/sunday/she-wanted-to-do-her-research-he-wanted-to-talk-feelings.html "undefined") about gender dynamics and sexual harassment in the academic sciences. ### Yayoi Kusama  Yayoy Kusama in her studio in Shinjuku. Tokyo. Apr 6, 2016. Alex Majoli—Magnum for TIME The [87-year old Japanese artist](http://time.com/4299687/yayoi-kusama-2016-time-100/ "undefined") (who was a contemporary of Andy Warhol’s) is known for her abstract expressionist work that often includes polka dots, patterns, and nets. She works in [painting, sculpture, drawing, film and installation, ](http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/YayoiKusama "undefined")and she’s considered one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary artists. Her installation _Infinity Mirrored Room_ opened the Broad Museum in Los Angeles last fall and drew praise from Adele among many others. ### Sunita Narain  Courtesy of Centre for Science and Environment The director of the Center for Science and Environment has long been one of India’s most [prominent environmentalists.](http://time.com/4299642/sunita-narain-2016-time-100/ "undefined") She’s [led campaigns against Coke and Pepsi ](http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1652689%5F1652372%5F1652366,00.html?iid=sr-link1 "undefined")for including high levels of pesticides in their sodas (an allegation which both companies vehemently deny). She has campaigned for decades to reduce air pollution in New Delhi. She brings social awareness to her environmentalism, recognizing poor and marginalized populations as crucial for environmental progress. ### Diana Natalicio  Joel Salcido As [President of the University of Texas at El Paso](http://time.com/4301346/diana-natalicio-2016-time-100/ "undefined") since 1988, Natalicio is the [longest-serving president of a public research University.](http://news.utep.edu/carnegie-corporation-of-new-york-honors-utep-president-among-four-higher-education-visionaries/ "undefined") In the nearly three decades since she took the job, UTEP has transformed from a small commuter school to a major public research university, with a student body that is more than [80% Mexican-American (with another 5% ](http://www.utep.edu/aboututep/presidentsbio.aspx "undefined")who commute directly from Mexico.) She’s a [major thought leader](http://news.utep.edu/carnegie-corporation-of-new-york-honors-utep-president-among-four-higher-education-visionaries/ "undefined") in the best ways to help low-income, first-generation students succeed in college. ### General Lori Robinson  In a photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, Gen. Lori Robinson, commander of the Pacific Air Forces, at an air show in Singapore in February 2016\. Robinson will be nominated to lead the United States Northern Command, which leads all military forces in North America. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to head one of the combatant commands. (U.S. Air Force via The New York Times) -- FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY -- U.S. Air Force—The New York Times/Redux She’s currently the Commander of the Pacific Air Forces, but [General Lori Robinson ](http://time.com/4301351/lori-robinson-2016-time-100/ "undefined")just got a big promotion. In March, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that President Obama will nominate General Robinson to be the [next head of the Northern Command](http://time.com/4264123/general-lori-robinson-combatant-command/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined"), putting her in charge of all military activity in North America. If confirmed by the Senate, she will become the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command, one of the most senior roles in the U.S. Military. ### Kathy Niakan  Courtesy of The Francis Crick Institute This [developmental biologist ](http://time.com/4301356/kathy-niakan-2016-time-100/ "undefined")is the [first ever to receive regulatory approval](http://www.nature.com/news/uk-scientists-gain-licence-to-edit-genes-in-human-embryos-1.19270 "undefined") to use a powerful new gene-editing technology on human embryos. In February, the United Kingdom’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority approved Dr. Niakan’s application to use CRISPR–Cas9 to permanently change the genome of human embryos. Her research will lead to a better understanding of which genes are crucial to embryo development, and could help develop new treatments for infertility. Her study is likely the first in what will be a series of experiments in which we make ever more impactful changes to the genome, not only to improve our understanding of disease, but to cure them as well. ### Ibtihaj Muhammad  Ibtihaj Muhammad photographed at the Fencer, New York, on feb 9, 2016. Daniel Shea for TIME As the first Muslim woman who observes hijab to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Fencing team, [Ibtihaj Muhammad ](http://time.com/4301357/ibtihaj-muhammad-2016-time-100/ "undefined")is already a pioneer. But she’s also [taking political risks,](http://time.com/fencer/ "undefined") by speaking out against anti-Muslim rhetoric. 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