For acing her big test, not caving to critics. There was a moment this summer when the phrase wise Latina was on everybody’s lips-and even on some T-shirts. In her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Sonia Sotomayor was asked to justify a past comment that "a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life." Sotomayor, whose own journey took her from the South Bronx through Princeton and Yale Law School on scholarships, admitted that it was "a rhetorical flourish that fell flat." But she explained that she had meant to inspire young Latino lawyers and students "to believe that they could become anything they wanted to become, just as I had" and rejected suggestions of possible bias. By turning an attack into a celebration of how she has lived the American dream, Sotomayor was wise enough to reach her goal-becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice-while staying true to herself.

For blazing a new, non-Appalachian trail in dealing with an unfaithful husband. When the extramarital affair of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford became public knowledge in June, his wife, Jenny, did not stand by her man, defend him as the victim of a predatory woman or cry conspiracy. Rather, she packed her belongings and advised her husband to do a little soul-searching. "The incredible reaction my actions have generated just highlights how common such struggles in marriage are today," she says. Finally, on December 11, she filed for divorce, saying in her complaint, "This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family." Sanford, a former investment banker, has written a memoir that will be published in May. Here’s why she stands out in our book: for letting the world know that her husband’s infidelity was humiliating only for him.

For making women’s rights one of the top foreign policy issues of our time. Addressing a conference in Beijing as first lady, Hillary Clinton declared, "women are most often the ones whose human rights are violated." Now, as secretary of state, she’s using her clout to fight for global change. During her trip to Africa, she saw victims of rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where women are violated by soldiers and marauding rebels. Clinton urged the country’s president to prosecute offenders and offered an additional $17 million in victims’ assistance. In September, she took her campaign to the United Nations, stating forcefully that sexual violence toward women and children during war "is not cultural, it is criminal." Clinton’s contact with women is more than a political agenda-in her own words, "It feeds my heart."

For bringing the richness of diversity to the Fortune 500’s top ranks. "I know that I’m smart and have opinions that are worth being heard," Ursula Burns told the New York Times in 2003. When asked if she was preparing for the top role at Xerox, she demurely replied it was too soon to think of that, then couldn’t help adding: "I guess I’m a darned good option for a candidate." Pride going before a fall? Nuh-uh. Burns, who joined Xerox nearly 30 years ago as an intern, became CEO this year-the first African-American woman to head a Fortune 500 company. She’s taking the mantle at a tough time, but she knows how to seize an opportunity: When the credit markets thawed in September, she made a deal to buy Affiliated Computer Services, estimated to save Xerox $300 to $400 million over three years. It was the biggest acquisition bid in the company’s history-"a game-changer," Burns said. That’s a label she can lay claim to herself.

For refusing to be silenced on human rights, even at the price of her life. Natalia Estemirova devoted herself to bringing international attention to human rights abuses in Chechnya. For the past decade she spoke out-but on July 15, her voice was stopped. That day, Estemirova was forced into a car as she left her home in Grozny. Hours later, her body was found with bullets in it. "She was obsessed with justice," says Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch. "When she saw someone suffering, she would rush to help. I don’t think she could even control it." Estemirova was fully aware that her own life was in danger in Chechnya. "But she said, ‘These people are suffering, and they come to me,’?" Lokshina says. "?‘If I leave, who will they go to?’?" In giving voice to the abused, she has become an undying inspiration. TO VIEW A SLIDE SHOW OF STARS WHO MAKE OVER 40 LOOK FAB, CLICK HERE