SINGAPORE - Women in Singapore now have an orchid named after them, in a move by the People's Action Party's (PAP) Women's Wing to pay tribute to mothers and thank them for their contributions to nation-building.

To mark the occasion, $200,000 was also donated to 10 charities with a focus on women in Singapore through the PAP Community Foundation.

These include the Breast Cancer Foundation, Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support and Domestic Employees Welfare Fund.

The orchid was unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the PAP Women's Wing Bicentennial Tribute to Mothers held on Saturday (May 11) at the Mandarin Orchard hotel.

The purple orchid was named "Aranda Mothers of Singapore".

It is a hybrid of the Aranda Christie and Vanda Varut Fuschia. Its ancestry includes an orchid that has been native to Singapore since the 19th century.

More than 600 activists and guests attended the event.

Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and chairman of the PAP Women's Wing, said: "Orchids are often named for very important persons or dignitaries. What we hope to achieve by doing this is to say to all the mothers here in Singapore that you are special, very important and now you have an orchid you can proudly call your own.

"Families are the basic building blocks of our society and mothers are the super-glue holding families together, that keep our society strong."

She added that mothers have contributed to Singapore's history and helped in reconstruction after the war. They also stepped into new jobs after independence and as the economy developed.

"As children, let us never forget the sacrifices of our mother. And always remember our mothers' efforts to bring joy to our lives," she said.

PM Lee wished the guests happy mothers' day when he unveiled the orchid.

Said Mrs Teo: "(The orchid) symbolises the nurturing and vibrant character of mothers in Singapore. We hope to inspire successive generations of mothers here."