MI supports International Women's Day and local food banks with silent auction

The Marine Institute held its second annual silent auction in support of International Women's Day on Friday, March 5 and received $1,235 in pledges from MI faculty, staff and students

The event was organized by MI International, the international office of the Marine Institute, with all proceeds going to local food banks, and included 99 unique gifts including jewelry, wooden crafts, silk scarves, purses and a variety of gourmet foods. The 99 gifts are symbolic of the fact this year’s celebration represents the 99th official International Women’s Day.

“Most of the items available at the auction were created by women in developing countries around the world, including a lot of beautiful crafts, clothing, wooden carvings and jewelry,” said Kelly Moret of MI International. “The items were purchased, and then donated, by MI faculty, staff and managers who have participated in our development projects. The original purchase of these items helped support women and their families in developing countries and now the proceeds from the silent auction will support women and children in our province.”

All money raised during the second annual Marine Institute silent auction in support of International Women’s Week will go to local food banks, according to Moret. “We decided to donate the proceeds to food banks because quite often, the majority of people who rely on food bank services are women and families on low and/or fixed incomes,” said Moret. “We wanted to offer support to this group of women while acknowledging that women and children are the most negatively impacted by poverty in our province.”

A power point presentation highlighting the achievements of MI International projects in support of women’s development and the push for equality and progress took place during Friday’s silent auction. MI faculty and staff who have participated in international projects were available for discussion during this time. A unique sale also took place during the silent auction, during which men were charged $1 for a coffee and a pastry while women paid only 77 cents. Moret says this is a subtle, yet effective, way to demonstrate the discrepancy in wages of men and women where it is estimated women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Coffee and pastry sales resulted in an additional $123.45 for local food banks.

In 2009, more than 75 MI faculty and staff took part in the silent auction, helping to raise $800 for the Bridges to Hope food bank. International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 each year in countries all over the world. It is a day to acknowledge the cultural, political and economic impact women make on the international stage. Canada’s theme for International Women’s Day 2010 is Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All. For more information, visit www.internationalwomensday.com.