[CSR] Gender Issues of Breast Cancer Campaign 乳癌防治運動的性別議題

Not only women can get breast cancer, but men can too. However, the present breast cancer awareness movements mostly ignore men’s issues, but emphasise too much on women. As men can also develop breast cancer, it has been considered by John W Nick Foundation, Inc. that it is unfair for them to be neglected in these campaigns. The pink ribbon culture is one of the causes reinforcing the stereotype that the breast cancer awareness campaign belongs to women only (Ives, 2011). Although Nancy Nick designed a pink and blue ribbon to balance the gender issue, the result is not significant by the dominance of numerous cosmetic campaigns with pink ribbon. On the other hand, the sexual issues on the advertisement have been argued by the public as to its effectiveness and appropriation. For example, Janet Jackson’s image was used on the cover photo on the 1993 Rolling Stone magazine to raise awareness of the charity CoppaFeel!, an organisation to promote breast cancer awareness, with an embreasted top only covering her chest by the hands of her male partner. Since breast cancer involves women’s secondary sexual organs, breast cancer has already been considered as a sexy disease with the incorrect knowledge and misunderstanding of the original causes of breast cancer among the public (The Independent, 2012). Therefore, the advocators for the breast cancer awareness movement have started to claim that we should put the breasts away and face that cancer kills.