LONDON (Kyodo) -- Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe was among the 100 "influential and inspiring women" around the world selected for the BBC's annual list on Tuesday.

Also selected was Yumi Suzuki, one of the plaintiffs who sued the Japanese government over forced sterilization under the now-defunct eugenics protection law. The Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in July and ordered the government to pay damages.

The British public broadcaster described the New York-based Watanabe as "one of Japan's most famous influencers" who is "helping to change body stereotypes in Japan, spearheading a body-positive movement known as pochakawaii," or chubby and cute.

Suzuki was born with cerebral palsy and underwent forced sterilization at the age of 12. Under the law that was in effect between 1948 and 1996, people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses, or hereditary disorders were sterilized without their consent to prevent the birth of "inferior" offspring.

The theme of this year's selection was "resilience," highlighting the women who "are pushing for change and improving lives at community or global level."

The BBC also included activist Nadia Murad, a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Iraq who endured the Yazidi genocide and advocates for survivors of sexual violence.

U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams, whose eight-day trip to the International Space Station in June was extended to last through February next year due to technical faults, was also among those listed.