Cover (From Left) Fiona Nott, Angelina Kwan at The Women’s Foundation 20th anniversary gala (Photo: TWF)
(From Left) Fiona Nott, Angelina Kwan at The Women’s Foundation 20th anniversary gala (Photo: TWF)
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Here’s what went down at The Women’s Foundation gala, which celebrated 20 outstanding years of work in gender equality and women’s rights
Where? Regent Hong Kong
Who? Fiona Nott, Angelina Kwan, Joanna Hotung, Anita Lee
Here’s what you missed:
The morning of November 14 might have started on a cloudy, gloomy note for Hong Kong—thanks to a typhoon—but the evening ended on a high. Hundreds of the city’s influential figures, corporate delegates, women’s rights advocates and allies gathered at the Regent Hong Kong in Victoria Harbour to raise a toast to The Women’s Foundation (TWF) on its 20th anniversary.
The NGO, which is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Hong Kong, celebrated 20 outstanding years in the city with a gala under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Equality”. True to this theme, the event not only featured a sit-down dinner and silent auction but also two panel discussions on women’s rights and female representation in Hong Kong.
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Above (From left) Jenny Wan, Tamara Lamunière, Peter Lund, Beryl Sze, Anna Liu, Bowie Lau, Denise Chan, Esme Pau; (From front) Gigi Chao, Angelina Kwan and Jenny Lau at the TWF 20th Gala (Photo: TWF)
Above (From left) Brian Henderson, Ali Tse, Aveline San, Fiona Nott, Angelina Kwan, Joanna Hotung, Keith Pogson and Damien Mooney at the TWF 20th Gala (Photo: TWF)
(From left) Jenny Wan, Tamara Lamunière, Peter Lund, Beryl Sze, Anna Liu, Bowie Lau, Denise Chan, Esme Pau; (From front) Gigi Chao, Angelina Kwan and Jenny Lau at the TWF 20th Gala (Photo: TWF)
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Fiona Nott, the CEO of The Women’s Foundation, kicked off the evening with a welcome note in which she reiterated the need for gender equality. “Gender inequality is not just a social issue; it’s something that consumes our homes, our offices and our boardrooms. Gender inequality affects each of us. It’s not just holding back half the population; it’s holding back our future.
“Twenty years ago, our founders saw what many ignored. They rejected quick fixes and developed an ecosystem of changemakers, and we are proud to continue that legacy,” she added.
Nott also alluded to the current international sociopolitical climate, which has become more intolerant towards women’s rights—and talked about “a growing backlash against progress”.
“We believe in possibility and the power of our community to propel us forward. We pledge to continue building equality for the next 20 years and more,” Nott said to thunderous applause.
Above (From left) Angelina Kwan, Shalini Mahtani, Keith Pogson, Elizabeth Thomson and Susan Hutchison (Photo: TWF)
Above (From left) Elizabeth Thomson, Rebecca Woo and Rachel Cartland (Photo: TWF)
(From left) Angelina Kwan, Shalini Mahtani, Keith Pogson, Elizabeth Thomson and Susan Hutchison (Photo: TWF)
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During dinner, guests listened keenly to the panel discussions, which covered a wide range of topics, from women-led social enterprises—as elaborated by Anita Lee, Time to Gold’s CEO—to women’s empowerment by luxury brands like Chanel and Max Mara—as Derek Collins of the University of Hong Kong shared with the audience.
At the same time, a bidding war was also quietly taking place over the silent auction, which put several attractive items under the gavel; these include a masterclass by award-winning female chef May Chow, a jersey signed by the Hong Kong China Women’s Sevens team, a Chanel skincare experience and more.
Afterwards, TWF member Jen Flowers, the organisation’s ally Richard Lord and fundraising host Peyami Kalyoncu took to the stage to encourage attendees to take a pledge towards the foundation’s causes by supporting its programmes through donations. At the end of the evening, more than HK$785,000 was raised in donations—which, to quote Kalyoncu, was possible through “a typhoon of generosity” and was a fitting reflection of Hong Kong’s solidarity towards women’s issues.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
