Interview, Fireside Chat
Barrister and Philanthropist Cherie Blair with GS' Dina Habib Powell: Talks at GS Session Highlights
- The speaker anticipates that empowering women will drive global GDP growth, security, and development solutions, projecting that achieving equal workforce participation is essential for the world economy.
- Predictions indicate the gender gap in education is narrowing to 90 percent, the gap in economic empowerment has reduced to 60 percent, and political participation is currently estimated between 20 and 30 percent.
- Plans include expanding mobile technology initiatives, such as a businesswoman app on text messages which reached 100,000 women in Nigeria, Indonesia, and Tanzania, and a specific program in 15 states targeting a 200 to 300 percent increase in turnover.
- Financial projections for these initiatives suggest that 90 percent of development dollars given to women are invested wisely, with specific cases showing widows increasing income to afford two meals a day and individual users seeing 30 percent turnover growth.
- Risks identified include the threat of extremism causing a collapse in women's status, as observed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, as well as the failure to implement Millennium Development Goals despite existing data.
- Strategic expectations assert that companies ignoring international standards for employees and supply chains face reputational and operational consequences, while technology is viewed as a key enabler for safety by reducing travel to wholesalers.
- Future outcomes are expected to include better decision-making and policies reflecting societal needs through increased female political participation, alongside a broader shift in the debate on women's empowerment toward smart economics.