The final photo I can locate on my phone of the TIME newsroom prior to our dispersion by the is of a massive wall of magazine covers. For months, we had been laboring on our first-of-its-kind project. The image illustrates the scope of that effort: , commemorating the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the U.S. by featuring the most impactful woman of each year going back to . Spearheaded by Kelly Conniff and Emma Barker Bonomo, this project challenged long-standing notions of what influence entails and was intended to diverge from our regular workflow.
That image brings to mind what we were unaware of in 2020—among other things, that the original Women of the Year would serve as the cornerstone for the issue you now have in hand. Today, this endeavor does more than examine the past; it provides essential insight into the present and shines a light on those forging our future. Under the leadership of Lucy Feldman and Cate Matthews, for the fifth consecutive year we honor women striving to build a more just world—leaders we believe are tackling the most urgent challenges facing women and girls in 2026.
The list consistently includes individuals who have garnered widespread recognition, and this year is no different, highlighting artist , singer , author , and the actor gracing this year’s cover, , whose eye-opening performance in One Battle After Another captivated Hollywood. “I cherish when it’s difficult—that indicates it has intent,” Taylor stated.
However, the narratives I suspect are unfamiliar to many are the ones I am most eager to share: those of entrepreneur , who is providing education to girls in India; , the midwife heading Sierra Leone’s first maternity center; and , who is overseeing humanitarian efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. “I am not free until every woman is free,” declared Pakistani lawyer and advocate . “I aim to leave no avenue unexplored regarding what I can accomplish in the coming decades.”
“A recurring theme is urgency,” Feldman notes. “This is a pivotal juncture to ensure that rights are safeguarded and the progress achieved is not reversed.”
Each year, I enjoy pondering what the women featured on that initial large wall would think of the latest cohort.