One Month, Many Causes

What happens when at least 11 advocacy and awareness campaigns fall on the same month? Competition:

Rita Smith was watching football in 2009 when she noticed – as if it were possible not to – that the players were newly outfitted in pink socks and gloves. Her heart sank. “I was pretty sure we were toast,” she says. “There was no way we were ever gonna match them.” Smith is executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which also claims October as its awareness-raising month.

Why it’s hard to compete with cancer:

Breast cancer is, as many critics have pointed out, the perfect issue for corporate-funded cause marketing. It’s got an unambiguous villain (CANCER) and a natural constituency (women). Saving boobies is a friendly cause that everyone – even frat boys and NFL players – can get behind. A straightforward health issue.  By comparison, domestic violence is downright controversial. It touches on complicated issues like power, rape culture, victim-blaming, and gender roles, and stirs up uncomfortable emotions. …

One in eight women will suffer from breast cancer in her lifetime. One in four will experience domestic violence. Good luck finding that statistic on a yogurt lid this month.

Update from a reader:

Cancer can’t even compete with cancer! Breast cancer does not kill as many women in the US (41,000) as lung cancer (70,000), but you never hear about this from the pink ribbon brigade