A Company’s Role During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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IT Jobs and Recruitment Insights
For the first time in 1985, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was established. It was created as a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries.
Betty Ford, Gerald Ford’s wife, was diagnosed with breast cancer during his time in the office as the President of the United States. Due to her diagnosis, his focus and attention was on her at that time. Thankfully, she survived and became a pioneer of the breast cancer campaign.
Why is this so important?
The importance of Breast Cancer Awareness month is mostly educating people about this disease, and the importance of early detection by doing self-checks and getting scans.
The good news is that most people can survive breast cancer if it is detected early enough. This is why education and awareness are so important!
October is a month to be celebrated and also to encourage breast cancer survivors to speak and share their stories. During this month, all the funds that people and organisations raise are donated to breast cancer research and treatments. This has created amazing support and a research network between women and men all over the world.
If you’re looking to support a worthy cause here are some of the research projects you can donate funds to;
What Are Some Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
Every woman should know how her breasts usually look and feel, so she can recognise any changes that may occur.
Signs of breast cancer may include:
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Lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
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Swelling or thickening of all or part of the breast
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Dimpling or skin irritation of breast skin
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Localised, persistent breast pain
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Redness, scaliness or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
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Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
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Any change in the size or shape of the breast
What can you do as a company to raise awareness of breast cancer during October?
So, as I mentioned before, this month is to increase awareness of the early diagnosis of breast cancer and support those amazing pink warriors who won this battle, remember those who are not here anymore and be there for those who are going through this. Let’s show our support!
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Wear PINK during the month of October
Breast cancer is associated with the pink ribbon, there is no doubt about that. But, have you ever wondered about the meaning behind it?
The pink ribbon represents the fight that breast cancer survivors went through, and encouragement for the future of those who are battling it.
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Promote internal and external campaigns to increase awareness
Spread awareness regarding breast cancer by directly educating your female employees about the importance of mammograms and self-checks to detect abnormalities. You can also use the power of social media to reach your wider audience and educate them. You can lead by example. Share facts in your campaigns like:
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women worldwide- 1 in 8 women receive a breast cancer diagnosis
- On average, every 2 minutes a female is diagnosed with breast cancer
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Promote Mammograms
What is a mammogram? A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. This is the best way to early detect signs of breast cancer.
Consider promoting early detection by encouraging female staff to participate in breast cancer screenings.
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Participate in racing or sponsored walk
Find a charity project to support, it can be national or international. Your organisation can promote the sponsored walk through different social media platforms, and you can create a fundraising page (example: Go Found Me) so people can donate funds, and that money can be designated to the project.
It is also a good team-building activity that can raise internal awareness.
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Bring a specialist to the office to educate everyone in your organisation
By bringing in a specialist on the subject, will help your organisation educate everyone and will also create an opportunity to ask questions, and increase their knowledge about Breast cancer. This could be life-changing if people can take action quickly, to prevent a major issue.
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Host a Pink Breakfast or Lunch
You can choose to host a breakfast, morning/afternoon tea, brunch or lunch, at work, in your local centre or hospitality venue, and use this opportunity to raise funds for game-changing breast cancer research.
You can invite breast cancer survivors to talk about their own experiences, and show them support. Employees will appreciate hearing a firsthand account of why prevention measures are so important.
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Be supportive of breast cancer survivors returning to work
Returning to the workforce could be challenging and also an overwhelming experience. For that, we recommend showing them the company’s support by considering flexible hours and permission to work from home for returnees. Establishing wellness programs to help them with their mental health and providing emotional support would be extremely valuable to the employee.
Additionally you could offer coaching sessions, provide them with a counsellor to guide them and support them on this journey.
So, as I mentioned before, this month is to increase awareness of the early diagnosis of breast cancer and support those amazing pink warriors who won this battle, remember those who are not here anymore and be there for those who are going through this. Let’s show our support!
