Lebanese journalist Christina Assi among the 100 most influential women, according to the BBC

An AFP photographer injured in Lebanon, Christina Assi, the French rape victim Gisèle Pélicot and the American actress Sharon Stone are among the 100 female personalities of the year, according to a BBC ranking unveiled on Tuesday.

Divided into five categories – climate, culture and education, entertainment and sport, politics, science, health and tech – this ranking intends to celebrate those who, “thanks to their resilience, push for change”, details the British media.

Photographer Christina Assi, whose right leg was amputated following an Israeli strike in October 2023, while she was reporting in Lebanon, is distinguished in the political category. “This experience led her to campaign for the safety of journalists and she dedicated her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic torch relay to all journalists who have died in the line of duty,” writes the BBC.

“The importance of freedom of the press”

Having been selected “is an incredible honor, especially as a woman photographer in a field often dominated by men”, reacted Christina Assi to AFP. This distinction “is a tribute to all the courageous journalists who were targeted simply because they were doing their job,” she added. She also said she hoped “that this recognition will highlight the importance of press freedom and the sacrifices made to achieve it.”

The Frenchwoman Gisèle Pélicot is also distinguished in the same category. This woman has become the emblem of rape victims around the world. Sedated with anxiolytics by her husband and raped in her sleep for ten years by him and dozens of men invited by him, she was at the center of an extraordinary trial with international repercussions this fall. For the BBC, “by waiving her right to anonymity and allowing her story to be broadcast around the world, Gisèle Pelicot has become a symbol of courage and resilience”.

In the United Kingdom, Labor Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch are also distinguished in the same category.

On the cultural side, the unforgettable interpreter of “Basic Instinct”, Sharon Stone, is distinguished for her entire career. Musical revelation of the year 2023, the British singer Raye is also in the list.

In sports, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade (holder of six Olympic medals, including two gold) is distinguished for having succeeded in “overcoming numerous serious injuries”.