MANILA - President Arroyo has been named the 44th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes magazine.
The President's Forbes' ranking is lower than last year's, which saw her land on the 41st spot. Her worst ranking was in 2007 when she placed 51st in the annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World.
Mrs. Arroyo was previously named the 4th most powerful woman in the world in 2005, the same year that she faced the first in a series of failed impeachment attempts over allegations that she rigged the 2004 elections.
Forbes said the rankings combine the person's visibility in the media and the size of the organization or country that she leads,
In her description of the Philippine president, Forbes writer Tatiana Serafin said Mrs. Arroyo's visit with US President Barack Obama in the White House last month -- the first for a Southeast Asian leader -- was a "boon to an otherwise lame-duck presidency."
She noted that while Mrs. Arroyo's tumultuous six-year term ends next year, the President's allies could push through with a plan to change the Philippine Constitution and adopt a parliamentary form of government. This would allow Mrs. Arroyo to get around the six-year presidential term limit and become prime minister.
"Critics contend this may further sink the stalling economy that earlier in the year hit a 10-year-low GDP growth of 0.4%. Arroyo also has her hands full dealing with rise in domestic terrorism," the Forbes article noted.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held on to the No. 1 spot on Forbes' annual ranking of the world's most powerful women for the fourth year in a row. The list also included newcomers such as US First Lady Michelle Obama (40) and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (54).
Forbes noted that the women on its most powerful list are "moving across companies and industries, making big leaps with each change, and repositioning themselves for opportunities that allow them to gain a breadth of experience."
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