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Cherie Blair Endorses Women in Africa

Early this week 'The Women in Africa - Working Together' conference took place at Vodaworld Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, an event Cherie endorsed and encouraged.

I am delighted to be able to endorse the goals of your conference, which so clearly match those of my Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in helping women across the world to realise their potential by promoting and supporting their economic independence.

Women with economic security and independence have much greater control over the lives of themselves and their children. It also, importantly, gives women a more influential voice in their communities and wider society to tackle injustice and discrimination.

The conference was organised by Women in Finance, 85 Broads, a US-based network for women executives and ACCA, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Speakers included:

Herta von Stiegel who presented her documentary 'the Mountain Within' about her climb up Kilimanjaro with twenty eight disabled people

Kim Meredith the local author of Work Diva: How to Climb the Corporate Ladder Without Selling Your Soul

Marijo Bos, a board member of European Professional Women's Network

Sharron McPherson the chairperson of Women's Enterprise Development Initiative

Charlotte Middleton, an internationally recognised consultant on sustainable development and co-author of Special Issue on Corporate Citizenship in Africa

Lynda Smith, the head of a South African organisation that taps into and encourages the use of baby boomers' talent called Refirement

The patron of Women in Finance, Edith Venter, also addressed the conference and Gwen Watkins chaired.

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