About the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

The charity was set up in 2008 in response to Cherie’s experiences meeting women around the world and the realisation that, with the right support, women can overcome the challenges they face and play an important part in the economies and societies in which they work and live.

Supporting women entrepreneurs in Africa, South Asia & the Middle East

The core of our work is strengthening the capacity of women entrepreneurs in countries where they lack equal opportunities. We focus our support on women in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, where we can add value and where we see clear potential for women in business to become self-sustaining in the longer term. We rely on local knowledge and resources wherever possible, working in partnership with local organisations based in the countries we work in.

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Trustees

Robert Clinton

Martin Kaye

Pat O'Driscoll

Jessica Learmond-Criqui

Sara Carello

Foundation team

Henriette Kolb, CEO

Jillian Convey, Business and Communications Manager

Giulia Corinaldi, Project Manager

Priya Patel, Project Support Officer

With special thanks to our pro bono advisors and researchers: Simona Spazzini, Makena Mworia, Vivien Yakopin and Sara Elnusairi

Why our work is important

Backing women’s rights isn’t just good ethics, it’s sound economics. When men and women work together, businesses, economies and societies prosper.

Yet women are often excluded from the labour market, from access to finance or from education and as a result are under-represented in the world of business. Women account for just two per cent of land owned and ten per cent of credit extended globally. The world is missing out on a huge pool of talent.

The Foundation is a response to these challenges.