The 21^st century is a generation where females have an equal footing with their opposite sex and are no longer confined to staying back at home. In fact, it has be noticed that in all leading fields, be it technology, media or politics females have proved themselves efficient enough to claim international fame and break new grounds in business. The list of top 10 most powerful women in US reflects the diverse and dynamic paths these influential women have chosen to reach the zenith of their careers. Read further to know more about the top 10 most powerful women in US.

Get to know the names that have been opt for as the top ten most powerful women in US.

A native of Illinois, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was the 67th United States Secretary of State from 21^st January 2009 to 1^st February 2013. Besides she was also a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009 and the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 as the wife of President Bill Clinton. Clinton initiated and was the Founding Chair of the Save America’s Treasures program, a national effort that matched federal funds to private donations to preserve and restore historic items and sites.

Melinda Gates has earned the name for claiming the second position among the top 10 most powerful women in US through her business tactics. The American philanthropist is the wife of Microsoft giant, Bill Gates whom she married in 1994. She is the co-founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a former unit manager for several Microsoft products such as Publisher, Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia. 48 years old Melinda was ranked 40 in Forbes 2008 list of the 100 Most Powerful Women, 24 in 2007 and 12 in 2006.

The executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson assumed the position in September 2011 and became the first woman in this role in the paper’s 160-year history. She is a native of New York City and was the Times’ Washington Bureau chief during the turbulent period of spring 2003. In October 2011 she released her third book, The Puppy Diaries, about raising her golden retriever, Scout.

The first African-American First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama. With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, Michelle has become a part of popular culture being a fashion icon and role model for women, and an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, she attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin.

Janet Napolitano is the first female head of the Department of Homeland Security, a position she shouldered on 21^stJanuary 2009 after serving as the governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009. Prior to her election as Governor, she served as Attorney General of Arizona from 1999 to 2002. She was the first woman and the 23rd person to serve in that office. In March 2009, Napolitano also received the Council on Litigation Management’s Professionalism Award.

Sheryl Sandberg is Facebook’s first female board member and owns nearly $1 billion of unvested stock in the company. The Harvard MBA served as chief of staff for the U.S. Treasury Department under President Bill Clinton, and managed Google’s online global sales and operations as a vice president. She was involved in launching Google’s philanthropic arm Google.org and in 2012 was named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world assembled by Time.

An American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most prominent figure in the field of media. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century and is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. Winfrey’s company created the Oprah.com website to provide resources and interactive content relating to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity.

The Current chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo, Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi has been consistently ranked among World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. The Indian-American business executive has directed the company’s global strategy for more than a decade and led PepsiCo’s reform. Nooyi was named on Wall Street Journal’s list of 50 women to watch in 2007 and 2008, and was listed among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in The World in 2007 and 2008.

Involved in the food and beverage industry for about 30 years, Irene Rosenfeld is the current Chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International. The 59 years old American businesswoman has positioned Mondelēz International to deliver consistent top-tier growth by reinvigorating iconic brands, transforming the portfolio and strengthening the company’s presence in fast-growing developing markets. She holds a PhD in Marketing and Statistics and an MBA and a BA in Psychology, all from Cornell University.

Recognized for flamboyant, diverse and other contributions to the music industry through fashion, performances and music videos, the list of top ten most powerful women in US won’t be complete without mentioning the American musician cum Philanthropist, Lady Gaga. She came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album, The Fame in 2008. In 2012 she launched the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF), a non-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment and issues related to youngsters.