Cherie Blair, a prime example of a woman who has to balance family and career, yesterday told a business breakfast she felt like a juggler, spinning plates that teeter on the brink of crashing down every day.

The top lawyer, mother of four and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, warned that she did not have the "magic answer" to finding harmony between work and life, professing to be no role model.

At the start of a keynote speech on Balancing Family And Career, on the invitation of the Prime Minister's wife, Catherine Gonzi, Mrs Blair said nevertheless, the issue was close to her heart, both personally and professionally, as a working mother, who specialised in equality and human rights.

Because of her own struggle with the juggling act, she was determined to promote policies and practices that eased the stress.

Mrs Blair is a passionate believer in engaging everyone's full potential and particularly that of women, especially in these challenging times.

"It is pretty stupid not to make the most of the talents of half the world's population," she said.

By no means advocating men's replacement by women, she said it was about harnessing the latter's complementary qualities alongside those of their male counterparts to build a better world.

Neither was Mrs Blair advocating that every woman should work outside the home, acknowledging that the most important job was being a parent and that mothers - and fathers - should be supported too.

Work-life balance was not just a mother's concern and childcare was becoming more of a joint effort. Neither was it just about children but increasingly about caring for elderly parents and persons with disability.

"It is about having a more rounded life and time for yourself," she insisted.

With working lives getting longer, it was about offering the opportunity to step back and change the pace to keep employees motivated.

In her experience, talented, committed, young workers were no longer expecting a job for life but one that allowed them a life. The firms that offered flexibility would attract and retain the brightest and the best, she said. Those that succeeded were harnessing everyone's talents, regardless of gender.

Mrs Blair said the most far-sighted organisations were already responding to the idea, not out of altruism but because they could see the benefit for themselves and their employees, having recognised that the "raw materials" of success were knowledge, talent and experience.

Companies that encouraged flexible and part-time work have raised the low morale of their employees, who have learnt to work smarter, rather than longer. Less stress and an improved quality of life meant higher staff retention, a win-win situation.

On her fourth visit to "sunny" Malta, but definitely not her last, Mrs Blair showed an acquaintance with the local situation, aware that it had the lowest level of female employment - 35.8 per cent compared to 55 per cent across Europe.

A lack of family-friendly policies, including flexible hours and parental leave, particularly in the private sector, was cited by Maltese women as a reason for staying out of the labour market.

Creating obstacles for them to play their full role in society was an injustice and also "very stupid economics". Strong evidence suggested that women would be the driving force of economic growth in the near future, she said.

Mrs Blair urged those in senior positions to challenge outdated working practices and to, themselves, take advantage of flexible working opportunities to set examples and transform attitudes.

"The most reluctance to believe jobs can be done any other way than full time and in the office is at senior level," she said, insisting that delivery was more important than working fixed hours in one place.

Women too needed to play a part in removing these obstacles, she said, encouraging the setting up of informal networks between them. They should mentor others and challenge the still powerful old-boy network.

Mrs Blair admitted that, as a young and ambitious lawyer, she did not always take maternity leave, "determined to beat the men at their own game". In hindsight, however, she realised she was not subverting the system but merely reinforcing it.

Mrs Gonzi, who hosted the event at the Phoenicia Hotel, in Floriana, said the presence of the guests, who abandoned their usual busy schedule to attend, was significant in that it showed their commitment to learn more about how to achieve a work-life balance and prioritise a healthy combination of family and work in life.

The challenge in establishing harmony between family life and career belonged to both parents, she said.

Mrs Blair managed to fit in a visit to halfway house Villa Chelsea in Birkirkara, before heading to the airport in the afternoon.

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