2008 Signature Sessions

Moderator:
Raghida Dergham
Senior Diplomatic Correspondent and Columnist, Al Hayat
Political Analyst for NBC and MSNBC

Irshad Manji
Senior Fellow
European Foundation for Democracy
Author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith

Deborah Rodriguez
Director, Kabul Beauty School
Author of Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil

With a show of exceptional courage, each of the members of this panel has sparked international debate about the status of women in Middle Eastern countries. In this lively and informative session, a Lebanese-American journalist who has been exiled from her native country, a Canadian Muslim who has been called “Osama bin Laden’s worst nightmare,” and an American hairdresser who teaches Afghan women to be self-sufficient engage in a wide-ranging conversation about politics, religion, and culture in this tumultuous part of the world. Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear the firsthand accounts of three remarkable individuals who are advancing the cause of all women in the Middle East.

Signature Speaker:
Cherie Booth Blair, QC
Human Rights Lawyer and Activist

Interviewer:
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, PhD
Founder and President,
Center for Work-Life Policy
Author of Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success

As the wife of the former prime minister of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Cherie Booth Blair was often described as "wonder woman," seamlessly practicing law, raising four children, and performing the duties expected of a public figure. Always a strong advocate for working women, Blair now speaks out about the realities of building a career while balancing a life. Immediately following her remarks, she talks with famed thought leader Sylvia Ann Hewlett about the corporate policies needed to allow women a more flexible career path as well as her personal truths about doing it all.