Lizzo, Rita Moreno, Keke Palmer and more are People's 'women changing the world' in 2022

The Eurythmics once sang, “Sisters are doin’ it for themselves,” and these days, sisters are also proving they can be world leaders and do it for the betterment of humanity. That’s why every year, People Magazine publishes their Women Changing The World list, and the 2022 list highlights some of the incredible achievements of our favourite gals in the public eye.

Topping the 2022 list is singer and rapper Lizzo, followed by West Side Story acting legend Rita Moreno, and actress/activist Keke Palmer. Other notable trailblazers on the list include icon Goldie Hawn, Jeopardy! powerhouse Amy Schneider, and Billie Eilish.

"I deserve the spotlight," Lizzo says of her success and of her inclusion on this list. "I deserve the attention. I'm talented, I'm young, I'm hot. You know? And I've worked hard."

In the accompanying video interview, Lizzo says she hopes her celebrity and popularity will show that she doesn’t have to prove her value, but “I want to show the world the value in others by giving them a platform.”

“I just wish that more people will see the value in fat Black girls,” she says emphatically. 

Rita Moreno is 90 and still blazing her own path and showing Latinx people they don’t have to settle for stereotypes in Hollywood. Becoming the first Latina woman to win an Oscar, and also actively turning down roles that typecast her, Moreno tells People that her heritage will always inform her politics and ethics.

“I've done my best work in the public eye," she tells the outlet. "It means a lot to remind people where I come from. I will always be a Puertorriqueña."

She's also recently highlighted another systemic issue she's overcome to get to where she is today: domestic abuse. In an interview earlier this year, Moreno revealed she survived domestic abuse at the hands of Marlon Brando during their near-decade-long relationship. Coming out with the revelation decades after the relationship ended is another way she's creating space to empower other women to own their stories and share their experiences.

Actress and activist Keke Palmer has manifested her career with her own bare hands (sometimes even by Tweeting about it) and also inspired other Black women to lead the charge when it comes to injustice. We’ve seen her galvanize the American National Guard to march with Black Lives Matter protests in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, and she has also made it her mission to inspire young Black girls to find their voice. 

Since 2014, she’s been an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters, an organization that focuses on the building of confidence and gaining leadership skills in young women of colour through the fine arts. Keke even started her own branch called “Saving Our Cinderellas.”

She tells People, "I always make them a part of everything I do so they're reminded I am them and they are me. That way they can see that their dreams can be a reality."

Billie Eilish and her mother Maggie Baird are also honoured for launching their non-profit Support + Feed, Goldie Hawn for her foundation MindUp that focuses on children dealing with anxiety and the management of emotions, and Jeopardy! record-breaker Amy Schneider, who is the first transgender woman to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. 

See the full list of honourees here.

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