This Is Why Women Are Dominating the TIME 100 Poll

2 minute read

Six women currently sit atop the TIME 100 poll voted on by readers, with all earning a larger percentage of the vote than either President Obama or Pope Francis.

CL of K-Pop group 2NE1 tops the list. The South Korean quartet has broken Billboard records, and CL is about to make a U.S. solo debut. Lady Gaga’s ‘Little Monsters’ fanbase have pushed her to No. 2 — ahead of actress Emma Watson, who became the United Nations Ambassador for the gender equality initiative He for She and is getting support from Harry Potter fans.

Several others in the top 10 have used their podium to speak out about gender equality this year.

Beyoncé, who graced the cover of last year’s TIME 100 issue, has built an even bigger following with remixes to tracks on her Beyoncé album and show-stopping performances at the Grammys and VMAs. During the latter, Beyoncé helped push the other the F-word into the spotlight by performing in front of a backdrop that simply read “feminist.”

Taylor Swift spoke about how Lena Dunham taught her about feminism and encouraged her fans who believe in gender equality to embrace the label, too. And another TIME 100 alum, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first non-artist to make the top 10, thanks to her commitment to making education available to girls and women worldwide.

Barack Obama, Rihanna, Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama currently round out the top 10.

Cast your vote by commenting on any TIME Facebook post that includes #TIME100, or tweet your vote using the #TIME100 hashtag.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 10, and the winner will be announced April 13. This year’s official TIME 100 list will be announced April 16.

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Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com