ET Women’s Forum: Women can be the shining stars in India's growth story, says Cherie Blair
MUMBAI: Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has proposed that to unleash women’s power in India, each woman should “be the change”, support other women, think and act inclusively, and enlist male allies.
“Whether they are based in Kigali or Kanpur, these women are strong, resilient and creative,” she said at The Economic Times Women’s Forum held in Mumbai on Friday.
Her foundation operates with a network of mentors to promote entrepreneurship among women and has supported more than 140,000 women so far, she said.
Blair, a lawyer, recalled that she travelled extensively during her years at Downing Street, which houses the official residence of the UK prime minister, and during this time she witnessed legal and cultural barriers, which prompted her to launch her foundation.
She said that global statistics for women’s economic parity with men painted a bleak picture but pointed out that disparity in India was even higher. “Progress on gender equality is unacceptably slow the world over,” she said.
Blair, one of the two inaugural speakers at the event, said that at the current rate of change it would take women nearly 217 years to come on a par with their male counterparts. Nonetheless, she said, “I truly believe that we are at a tipping point in women’s history, one where our voices are becoming increasingly synchronised on the issues that unite us.”
Nearly 65% of Indian women graduates are currently out of work, compared with 41% in Bangladesh and only 25% in Indonesia.
However, Blair said the “ability, energy and promise is there”. She said this ready workforce was a “precious opportunity” to uplift India’s half billion women. “That opportunity is the boundless potential of Indian women – as business owners, job creators and leaders in their communities,” she said.
