Telecoms urged to answer Cherie Blair's call

The Life: Cherie Blair, wife of the former British Prime Minister, says the telecoms industry in the Middle East can help promote gender equality in the region. Here's how.

Cherie Blair oversees a charitable foundation that wants gender equality in the Middle East, and she believes the region's telecommunications companies can help. Mrs Blair, who is the wife of the former British prime minister Tony Blair, was in Dubai last month to present a report on employment opportunities for women in the mobile-phone sector. She discusses how her charity aims to help.

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What ambitions does the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women have in the Middle East?

There are a lot of educated women here in the Middle East. But they are still not participating in the workforce. We will have succeeded when we see those educated women getting the chance to develop and build on their education to contribute equally with men.

How will you do that?

In a number of ways, partly through partnering with local non-government organisations. We also have business development centres in Ramallah and Nablus in the Palestinian Territories, and one in Lebanon. We want to build more of these, which are one-stop shops where women can come to receive the training, the mentoring, the coaching. I'd like to see a chain of those spreading across the Middle East.

Why is the mobile-phone industry important for women?

Being involved in the retail supply chain is actually a very good way for women - particularly those at the bottom of the pyramid - to get involved in entrepreneurship. It doesn't take a lot of capital to set up, it can be done in your own home. And you can reach out to markets - such as other women - that the mobile phone industry is also wanting to reach out to.

How much money is Saudi Telecom (STC), which collaborated with your charity on its research efforts, investing in the partnership?

STC gave us the money to do this particular report, which cost US$100,000 (Dh367,310). The second step is to put that data to work.

What's your view on the Arab Spring and how it may impact the employment of women?

Obviously there are a lot of positives, look at Tunisia. After the elections, there are about 24 per cent women in the new parliament. That is a real step forward. I'm determined that in the 21st century women and men can be equal partners.