Reppin Africa: Leila Lopes Is One Of Africa's Most Powerful Woman!

2 days ago Olivia Culpo, 20, beat 88 other beauty queens to take the title from Leila Lopes of Angola during the two-hour Miss Universe competition in Las Vegas (congrats to her). The beautiful Leila Lopes, was crowned Miss Universe last year and is known for her beauty, becoming the first Angolan woman to be crowned as a Miss Universe and her dedication to her charity work for HIV/AIDS patients. Forbes recently highlighted Leila and 19 other incredible women from Africa on their list of "20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2012." With Leila's spot on the prestigious list, they highlighted some of her hard work and dedication:



As Africa continues to rise, so do African women. With the upward economic, social and political trajectory of the continent, a new breed of African women continues to emerge. So much so, that the African Union christened the years 2010 to 2020 as the “African Women’s Decade."

On September 12, 2011, Lopes was crowned Miss Universe, becoming the first Angolan woman to win the position, the fourth African to win the title (Miss South Africa took the title in 1978, Miss Namibia won in 1992, Miss Botswana won in 1999) and the second Black African woman to win following Mpule Kwelagobe from Botswana in 1999. As the reigning Miss Universe, Lopes used the platform for advocacy for HIV and AIDS patients worldwide.

The other honorable women include:
Leymah Gbowee, Liberia, Peace and Women’s Rights Activist
Cina Lawson, Togo, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Togo
Juliana Rotich, Kenya, Co-Founder Ushahidi
Patience Mthunzi, PhD. South Africa, Senior Scientist, CSIR
Maud Chifamba, Zimbabwe, 14-year old University Accounting Student
Florence Iwegbue, Nigeria, Attorney & Co-Founder, LiveWello
Lisa Opoku, Ghana, Chief Operating Officer, Goldman Sachs
Isha Sesay, Sierra Leone, News Anchor & Journalist, CNN 
Rainatou Sow, Guinea, Women’s Right Activist, Founder & Executive Director, Make Every Woman Count
Biola Alabi, Nigeria, Managing Director, MNET Africa
Lorna Rutto, Kenya, Sustainable Living and Green Technology Entrepreneur, Ecopost
Yolanda Sangweni, South Africa, Senior Editor/Producer, ESSENCE.com
Danai Gurira, Zimbabwe, Actress & Writer
Eunice Cofie, Ghana, Founder & Chief Cosmetic Chemist, Nuekie
Marieme Jamme, Senegal, Social Entrepreneur, Technologist & CEO, SpotOne Global Solutions
Jepchumba, Kenya, Digital Content Creator, Cultural Curator, African Digital Art
Redi Tlhabi, South Africa, Journalist, Broadcaster & Author
Swaady Martin-Leke, Ivory Coast, Entrepreneur & Founder, Yswara
Jacqueline Chimhanzi, PhD. Zimbabwe, Corporate Executive

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