Cherie Blair CBE, QC, is a leading international lawyer, committed campaigner for women’s rights and the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The first in her family to go to university, she studied law at the London School of Economics. Under her maiden name, Cherie Booth, she has forged a successful career in law; in 1995, she was appointed a Queen’s Counsel.

Cherie is a passionate advocate for gender equality. In 2008 she established the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women with the aim of supporting women in developing and emerging economies to build small and growing businesses, contribute to their economies and have a stronger voice in their societies. The Foundation works with women in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, developing projects which empower them to access the skills, networks, technology and financial services they need to establish and grow successful enterprises. To date, the Foundation has reached over 125,000 women in more than 80 countries.

In 2007, Cherie was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill medal “in recognition of her high ideals and courageous actions”, and is Vice-Chair of the U.S. Secretary of State’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership.

In 2011, Cherie became Chancellor of the Asian University for Women, the first liberal arts university for women in South Asia. She is also Honorary Vice President of Barnados, President of the Loomba Foundation, Patron of Scope and Patron of a number of charities, including Breast Cancer Care.

Cherie was an ambassador for London 2012, supporting the UK’s bid to host the Olympics, and was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List, for services to women’s issues and to charity in the UK and Overseas.