Equality between men and women is still 170 years away – is gender parity really a feat too far for human endeavour?

The only thing that gives me hope against the World Economic Forum’s dismal prediction is the reminder that it is just that – a prediction. In other words, we can speed things up

Cherie Blair (R) runs a foundation that supports women entrepreneurs in developing and emerging economies

Last week Tony and I were delighted to welcome our first grandchild into the family.

The arrival of a new baby naturally pivots one’s thoughts to the future. What will life be like for this new life, we wonder?

According to new figures from the World Economic Forum, there’s one answer we can be sure of.

Estimates in the Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap report show that my granddaughter will not live to see the day when women have full economy equality with men. In fact, her grandchildren will not even live to see that day.

Because that day is 170 years away.

I am struggling to compute this figure. After all, it took less than 40 years to put a man on the moon. And, according to experts, our world will see dramatic changes in the next 100 years. By then, there’s a good chance will have created immortality, be able to control the weather, and visit space as tourists.

Why, then, is gender equality so far beyond us? Is it really a feat too far for human endeavour?

Of course, the factors underlying the massive economic gender gap are complex. The World Economic Forum gives three reasons for its bleak timeline.

One is salary. Around the world, women earn on average just over half of what men earn despite working longer hours (taking into account both paid and unpaid work).

Another persistent challenge is the difference in labour force participation, with the global average for women standing at 54 per cent, compared to 81 per cent for men.

The number of women in senior positions also remains stubbornly low, with only four countries in the world having equal numbers of male and female legislators, senior officials and managers.

Closing these yawning gaps is no easy task. It’s what motivated me to set up my own Foundation for women, after Tony left office in 2008. After being fortunate enough to have a front row on history during our years in Downing Street, I wanted to give something back. I chose to support women in developing countries to set up businesses, to empower them to participate in their economies on their own terms, and on equal terms with men.

Since establishing my Foundation, I’ve met many incredible women whose stories provide a bulwark against the kind of grim statistics that have hit the headlines this week. They are a powerful reminder that change is possible – that every day, in households across the globe, women are seizing the reins.

In Tanzania, for example, we supported 260 women running micro-enterprises in textiles, food and soap processing, and poultry farming. Alongside business training, our project also provided education on issues such as women’s rights, HIV/AIDs, disability and fistula.

One woman told us that after attending one of these training sessions, she took a long, hard look at her own family. She went home and talked to her husband about allowing their daughter and son to jointly inherit their land. Following this, they promptly drew up new title deeds.

Stories like this show that information is power. Arm a woman with knowledge about her rights, and she will do her best to make those rights a reality.

Role models are another weapon in the fight for gender equality.

I remember, for example, a wonderful story Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the President of Liberia and first elected woman leader in Africa, once told me.

Ellen had been on a visit to a local school with a foreign dignitary. As the visit dragged on, the young children became restless. Noticing this, their teacher told them sharply to behave. But one eight-year old girl had taken Ellen’s visit very much to heart. In a loud voice, she said: “Be careful how you address me – one day I too might be President.”

Rather than being embarrassed or angry, Ellen was thrilled. To her, it was proof that her election was raising the ambitions of girls in her country.

The final thing that gives me hope against the World Economic Forum’s dismal prediction is the reminder that it is just that – a prediction, based on current rates of progress.

In other words, we can speed things up.

This week saw a powerful example of women stepping on the accelerator pedal. On Tuesday, thousands of women in Iceland abandoned work at exactly 2.38pm to protest against the pay inequality which means that women effectively work for free after this time. The protest marked the occasion, 40 years ago, when women in Iceland went on mass strike, refusing to work, cook and look after children for a day. It was a watershed moment in a country that now sits at the top of the Global Gender Gap rankings.

Of course, men have a special role to play in speeding up progress on gender equality. And for any male – or female – readers who are wondering, ‘How?’, I would urge them to get involved with my Foundation’s online Mentoring Programme. The programme uses technology to connect women entrepreneurs in developing countries with men and women professionals around the world. Among our 2,000 pairs, we have a woman tailor in Malaysia being mentored by a university professor in Lebanon, a textile designer in Rwanda working with a banking executive in the US, and a grape exporter in India matched with a research analyst in the UK.

By giving just two hours of your time each month, you too can share your skills, help a woman to grow her business and inspire her to realise that 170 years is not a timeframe she needs to accept.

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women supports women entrepreneurs in developing and emerging economies. For more information see @CherieBlairFndn and www.cherieblairfoundation.org.