Madonna is expected to raise at least $5 million (£3.13 million) for charity by auctioning off a painting by French cubist artist Fernand Leger.

The Material Girl has decided to sell off the work, titled Three Women, on Tuesday (07May13) and it went on display during a special dinner at Sotheby's auction house in New York last week (ends03May14) to drum up interest in the lot.

Alongside the painting, a note written by Madonna read: "I have chosen to auction this painting and donate all the proceeds to support girls' educational projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries where female education is rare or non-existent.

"I cannot accept a world where women or girls are wounded, shot or killed for either going to school or teaching in girls' schools."

The singer has previously focused her charity efforts on building schools in Malawi - where her two adopted children were born - through her Raising Malawi organisation.