Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Who we are

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women exists to create a future where women everywhere enjoy equal economic opportunities so they can thrive. Together with partners around the world, we work with women in low and middle income countries so they can start, sustain and grow successful enterprises. We collaborate to create fairer business environments so women are not constrained by gendered barriers and can reach their potential on their terms.

Since 2008, our training and mentoring services have supported more than 250,000 women to build successful micro, small and medium enterprises in over 100 countries. By blending insights from research, strong partnerships and pioneering technology we open doors for women entrepreneurs to skills, confidence, networks, finance and markets. We press for change to stop millions of women being held back from having the choice and opportunity to thrive.

Our gender transformative approach means women can achieve their own economic objectives. They create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. They contribute to thriving, fair economies, and global economic justice.

What we’ll do

In order to reach one million women entrepreneurs and support them to start and grow successful businesses and drastically shift business ecosystems so they are fair and inclusive we will:

Develop and deliver digital, women-centred services so more women are able to be successful entrepreneurs.

Grow a network of delivery partners delivering our flexible range of services for women entrepreneurs.

Host a thriving community of expertise in women’s entrepreneurship: sharing, learning, advocating for change and challenging the barriers facing women.

Lead global advocacy to challenge the systems and structures holding women back from success.

Create a membership community committed to funding our work so that women have the opportunities to fulfil their potential as entrepreneurs.
 

What we’ll achieve

With a global community of partners, donors and institutions, we will fight hard to ensure we contribute all we can towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth.

The resilience, drive and ingenuity of the women we work with inspires us to be unstoppable in our commitment to ensuring the economic rights of women everywhere are fulfilled. With this strategy, we believe we have put ourselves in the strongest possible position to achieve this.

We are ready for business.

Our culture and values

Vision

Our vision is for women to enjoy equal economic opportunities so they can live to their full potential.

Mission

Our mission is to empower women in low and middle income countries to start, sustain and grow successful businesses, and to build fair and inclusive business environments.

We’re going to revolutionise business opportunities for one million women by 2030.

Our ‘Ready for Business’ strategy will see us significantly scale up our work to revolutionise business opportunities for one million more women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries by 2030—the end point of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—and rapidly accelerate progress for women across the world.

This ambitious new strategy guides our work from 2023 to 2026, building on the success of our last strategy that saw us support over 100,000 women in just four years. Every element of our strategy and how we deliver it is shaped by our principles.

• Empowerment is sustainable. We are committed to creating positive, long term and cost-effective transformation in the lives of women and girls.
   

• The future is entrepreneurial. Our approach is bold and curious. We are open, agile and eager to embrace new challenges, tools and technologies

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (the Foundation) values an inclusive culture which helps each of us to benefit from a wider range of different perspectives, experiences, and skills. We believe that this creates a happier, safer, and more productive working environment for us all. 

We recognise that identity is complex and for the Foundation to remain relevant and fully realise our ambitions, we must commit to understanding how power and privilege plays out in our work.  We commit to strategically, and practically, examining our work and how we can dismantle behaviours that can cause harm.