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...because she was a woman, even though she had a well-paid job. When I qualified as a lawyer in the U.K. three decades ago, women in the legal profession still had to overcome open prejudice and discrimination. So when we examine the position of women across the Middle East, it's important not to despair - or forget our own past...
...fact, when I chat with women in the region, I can tell them from personal experience that life does change and that once progress starts, it can develop much more quickly than they might expect. No one would claim, of course, that the position of women in the Middle East in general is one that inspires confidence. But across the region - and often defying Western preconceptions - the battle for equality is making gains. (See pictures of the changing roll of women in Saudi Arabia...
...thing that is striking about the Middle East is that women are no longer prepared to accept a subservient role. Meeting female entrepreneurs in the West Bank, I was struck by their determination to remove the obstacles designed to keep them in their place. In northern Israel as well, I chatted with women business students, drawn from all communities but sharing a common goal to become financially independent. (See pictures of the women of Cairo...
...salary or company isn't just a matter of raising living standards for your family. It also gives you more control over your own life, more say in your society and more opportunities. All of us - whatever our gender - have a stake in helping women in the Middle East achieve this ambition. Societies will be healthier and stronger if women and men work together to address their problems. I believe the prospects for peace will be greater, too. (Read a Q&A with Cherie Blair...
Helping women in the Middle East and other areas of the world to achieve equality does something else: it reminds the rest of us how much there is still to do. In many Western countries, strong equality laws are in place, but the pay gap between men and women is widening, while the glass ceiling remains as resilient as ever. Today, we may be looking to the positive role that women can play in regions such as the Middle East. But the fight for true equality is a global one, and it is far from won. Cherie Blair...