What can Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and rock icon Tina Turner possibly have in common?

They are women of a certain age, 79 and 80 respectively, who are wielding power with aplomb, not apologies.

And that was a welcome breakthrough in 2019 for women of all ages.

They are learning from these two women, and so many more, that they can not only attain power, but they don’t have to surrender it because some may think they have too many kilometres on their odometers.

Indeed, older women are breaking through not only ageist barriers, but racist and sexist ones, too. In doing so they’re leading the charge for younger women and girls the world over with their confidence, chutzpah and steely success.

This year, for example, Forbes’ “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list, was topped by German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, 65, the only female commander-in-chief of a G20 nation. And of the top 10 most powerful women, six were over 61. The oldest woman to make the list? Queen Elizabeth, who is 93.

All of them are bringing a new leadership style and valuable new ideas to the table.

Think Elizabeth Warren, a woman who at 70 is a leading candidate to be the Democratic nominee in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and is using her power to fight for universal child care.

Or Christine Lagarde, who turns 64 on Jan. 1, the president of the European Central Bank, and Ursula von der Leyen, 61, the new president of the European Commission, who are both using their powerful positions to tackle climate change.

Or Canada’s Margaret Atwood, one of the world’s most influential feminists and writers, who at the age of 80 won this year’s coveted Booker Prize — her second — for the “The Testaments.”

Or Jane Fonda, 82, who moved to Washington this year specifically so she can attend Friday protests to demand that political leaders act to save the planet from climate change.

It’s true that there can be no celebration of a breakthrough for women’s rights until all women experience respect and equal treatment under the law.

But nonetheless, leaders like these formidable feminists are making a difference that should be celebrated, not just for the power they hold and how they wield it, but for the inspiration they are to young girls and other women around the world.

Pelosi, for example, is holding the most powerful man in the world to account.

Nor is she doing it with so-called womanly wiles. As she put it: “I put on a suit of armour, eat nails for breakfast.”

Indeed, who can forget the powerful photograph of Pelosi, standing, jabbing her finger at a petulant Donald Trump seated across from her, and lecturing him on Syria as the other men in the room gaze down at their navels?

Then, not much later, with the thump of a gavel, she launched impeachment hearings against him in a bold orange suit that shouted Power Dressing like no navy blue pinstriped man-suit ever could.

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And Turner proved the sour message that older women are doomed to be dumped, ditched and discarded by society dead wrong. On her 80 birthday in November, just after the celebration of her art, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical” opened in New York, she released a video on her Twitter account celebrating her good health — and good looks.

She is not wrong. She proved, as has actor Helen Mirren (74), that age does not wither sex appeal, vitality, intelligence — or worth. Succumbing to ageist attitudes does.

And she proved it after a lifetime of challenges, including racism and a physically abusive marriage, that she conquered, time and time again.

Indeed, Turner made her solo comeback after her split with Ike Turner as a grandmother, for heaven’s sake, in 1984 with the hit “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”

Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, is a mere child at 51 compared to these women. But she has already proven she can deal with the most difficult men in the world.

After all, she started out with the most challenging of them all, Trump. Her calm demeanour at difficult points in the negotiations over the new North American free trade deal made her seem like the only adult in the room.

And, despite his threats and antics, Freeland held her own on behalf of Canada.

Now it’s up to her to hold the country together in her other role as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs against the likes of premiers such as Jason Kenney, Brian Pallister, Scott Moe and Doug Ford.

There is no better “man” for the job.

And while she’s at it, she may prove the point, as these other female leaders have, that like a fine wine she only gets better — and more potent — with age.