CHERIE Booth will be the special guest at a high-profile celebration of Internat-ional Women's Day in Newport tonight.

Over 350 women, from all over Wales, will converge on the Caerleon campus of the University of Wales College Newport for the dinner, to be hosted by Newport West AM, Rosemary Butler and Welsh MEPs Glenys Kinnock and Eluned Morgan.

A candle-lighting ceremony is planned after Ms Booth's speech, in honour of the struggle which women face in countries around the world.

Speaking about the event Glenys Kinnock said: "It is an enormous pleasure to welcome Cherie Booth to Newport, a woman who so successfully manages such an incredibly busy life.

"She juggles a busy professional life and her family of four children and does it with consummate skill."

As well as being a leading barrister, she combines her duties as a mother of four children and wife of the prime minister.

Rosemary Butler has seen the annual event grow in size and status over the last few years.

She added: "The event will celebrate the achievements of women in Wales and remember women throughout the world who are fighting against prejudice and oppression.

"The Newport Women's Forum Annual Award 2002 will also be presented at the dinner. The Award is given to an individual or a group of women who live in Newport to assist in their personal development."

Meanwhile, Welsh MEP Jill Evans will spend the day by launching a special declaration against violence at a march in Barcelona.