October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
So many women have suffered from this disease. I know or have known many of them in my own circle of friends. Undoubtedly, a cure for breast cancer would be a miracle. Much marketing efforts that go into this month of awareness are misguided.
Pinkwashing
This year, I’m struggling with this campaign, just as I did last year. It seems that there are pink ribbons everywhere and they are being used to promote all kinds of products.
Often, it seems that those products are made by companies that are working against the prevention of breast cancer. I went on a rant about this last year and won’t repeat the same here. You can see some examples of what I’m talking about by clicking here. This practice is referred to as Pinkwashing. If you’re interested in seeing more examples of Pinkwashing, check out The Pinkwashing Hall of Shame Facebook page.
I’ll just mention one ad that I saw this year that quite frankly, offended me. In my personal opinion, this ad is aimed at nothing more than breast size and shape, all under the guise of the pink ribbon campaign. This simply can’t be the best way to raise awareness, can it?
Taking Proactive and Effective Action
I have tried to adopt a lifestyle that extends well beyond the month of October into the rest of the year. The more I learn, the more important I think it is to use safe cosmetics and skin care, safe cleaning product and to adopt a cleaner lifestyle in general.
- I try to avoid unnecessary chemicals whenever I can.
- When I buy skin care products, I support companies that use clean ingredients and ‘walk the talk‘.
- When possible, I share what I learned so that others may also benefit.
- When I see a product or campaign attached to a pink ribbon, I do my best to understand how legitimate it is. After all, there are lots of legitimate pink ribbon campaigns out there. It’s important for me to do my research so that I am satisfied that I’m supporting the cause well.
Really Think Pink!
I encourage all of you to ensure that, if you support and promote the Pink Ribbon campaign this month, be sure to satisfy yourself that your efforts and dollars are well placed.
Au Naturel Essence 
October 22, 2012 at 10:05 am
Like you, I have lost people close to me because of breast cancer. One of my friends died earlier this year from it. You are right in that the pink ribbon campaign may have gone too far in some cases. You were the first person to teach me about “pink washing”. Now I am more conscious about this campaign.
October 22, 2012 at 10:25 am
Truly, the way the pink ribbon campaign has morphed over the years makes it a very emotional one. It’s equally troubling to find out that the campaign is “supported” by companies with conflicting practices.
It’s a great reminder about how important it is to fully understand all the fundraising efforts that we hear about everyday.
Thanks for your comment, Sarah!
October 22, 2012 at 11:48 am
Such a shame 😦 I saw some of the products posing with the pink ribbon and it’s so sad how ‘pink’ is being marketed the way it is. People are more than willing to spend on pink coloured things totally unrelated to BCA nor contributing money towards it, just so they can sport pink to say they ‘support’ it. Why not just fundraise and have it donated straight to the charity? Thanks for sharing this post Alia and about the Pinkwashing.
October 22, 2012 at 11:51 am
I couldn’t agree more, Donah! It’s such a waste to see a great campaign idea twisted into a money making scheme.
I know you’ve done a lot this month to raise awareness for breast cancer and I think that your dedication is so admirable. 🙂
Unfortunately, it’s not just enough to trust that all fundraising campaigns are ethical.
October 22, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I know what you mean about fundraising campaigns, too. In fact, now that I’ve started, I never thought how hard it would be to actually get people involved or at least listen to what you’ve got to say. But there are always people who are willing to help, regardless, which restores my faith that not everyone is all talk and not doing anything. It kinda make me sad though how the world is coming to and how companies are just more or less in it for publicity.
October 22, 2012 at 12:49 pm
If nothing else, knowing that there are companies with ulterior motives at play, it makes the work that you’ve been doing it even more important! 🙂
October 22, 2012 at 1:13 pm
I am naturally suspicious of corporate campaigns for causes because I tend to question their sincerity, including celebrity charities. This post reminds me why. Thanks for the post.
October 22, 2012 at 3:00 pm
It’s sad, but often true that these big campaigns aren’t all that they seem to be. They just end up masking the good work that actually is taking place, though sometimes on a smaller scale.
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