Fund-raising began on Friday in Beijing to help disfigured low-income women in China, and 1 million yuan (about US$139,000) was collected.

The fund, the Rose Fund of China Women's Development Foundation, got its start just ahead of March 8, which is International Women's Day.

A nationwide campaign, "Chinese Rose Mission," was launched by several domestic media organizations and beauty salon chains in 2007 to raise funds for women whose disfigurements had affected their lives.

The campaign has received more than 3,000 applications for help and its first donation, 1 million yuan, came from a beauty salon chain to kick off the effort, which is the first of its kind in China.

Wang Ping, the Secretary-General of the China Women's Development Foundation, said at the opening ceremony of the fund that disfigured women were a very special group who needed more social attention.

Wang promised that the fund would help at least 20 disfigured women.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2008)