Helen Thompson
WVoN co-editor

UN Women Singapore’s annual fundraiser, SNOW—Say No to the Oppression of Women–raised $400,000 to support projects benefiting women and girls in Asia.

The 1920s-themed event, held on October 7, entailed a five-course meal provided by five top chefs from the region and a live art auction.

Marisse Reyes, Communications and Fundraising Manager for UN Women Singapore, said that the art auction was a success, with the most bids going to Takashi Murakami’s  three lithographs–New Day, Luddy and Bull Market, Chris Levine’s Equanimity, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and Russell Young’s portrait of Audrey Hepburn.

Distinguished guests included President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, his wife, and CNN’s 2010 Hero of the Year, Anuradha Koirala, founder and chairperson of the NGO, Maiti Nepal.

In her foreword to the SNOW gala programme, Anuradha Koirala wrote that Maiti Nepal: “works to establish effective measures to prevent, protect and rehabilitate potential and former victims of trafficking of women and children, child prostitution and child labour.”

She added that the groups purpose was also: “to encourage women to be financially self-sufficient by teaching them income generating skills and to rehabilitate children and young girls from the streets by providing each girl with an education, counselling and a safe home.”

According to Trina Liang-Lin, president of UN Women Singapore, in the past it has supported girls’ homes by providing 16-18-year-old girls with work-based scholarships.

They have also funded the End Violence Against Women campaign to end sex trafficking and the Day-Off campaign encouraging employers to give their domestics a day off from work.

This year the funds raised will help support a UN Women Cambodian project designed to improve women’s economic empowerment as well as the work of Maiti Nepal, including providing funds for one year of education for over 30 girls rescued from sexual exploitation in Nepal.

While SNOW is UN Women Singapore’s biggest annual fundraising initiative, they also continue with smaller fundraising projects throughout the year (see WVoN story).

Buy to Save is an upcoming two-day sale of pre-owned designer clothes at the Suntec City Convention Centre in Singapore on December 3 and 4.

Selected artworks from the SNOW exhibit are still available for bid via email, phone or online until December 14.

For more information go to  http://snow.org.sg/auction.html or contact Marisse Reyes at marisse.g.reyes@unifem.org