Evelyn Lauder, creator of the pink ribbon, passes away

The news didn’t receive much mention from the press here. Evelyn Lauder, credited with creating the pink ribbon, a symbol of breast cancer awareness, passed away on November 12, 2011. Sadly, she died of complications from another kind of cancer that happens to women, ovarian cancer.

Lauder created the pink ribbon in 1992. The daughter-in-law of Estee Lauder, who created the eponymous cosmetics company, Lauder and her husband began their campaign for breast cancer awareness by financing the bows given to women at department stores’ make up counters, to remind them of breast examinations. Their campaign grew and led to the designation of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US, and the foundation by Lauder, of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Independent, UK, quotes her recalling the early days of the campaign, saying there was no publicity about breast cancer but a “confluence of events – the pink ribbon, the colour, the press, partnering with Elizabeth Hurley, having Estée Lauder as an advertiser in magazines and persuading so many of my friends who are health and beauty editors to do stories about breast health – got people talking."
The report mentions that three years after the first pink ribbon was distributed, she said, a flight attendant noted one on Lauder's lapel and said, "I know that's for breast cancer."
Lauder said: "From there, it became ubiquitous."

The cause has lost an activist. But I, for one, am sure that Lauder must have inspired many women to go out there and work for it. Her message about being aware remains alive in the form of the pink ribbon and her work. Let’s continue it and get people talking.

Pink ribbon vs pink chaddi

Last year, scores of pink chaddis were sent to protest the actions of Pramod Muthalik of Sri Ram Sene, whose party members beat up girls who had gone to a pub as ‘it is not the Indian culture’ etc. After a group of youngsters asked others to send pink underwear to the party’s office as a form of protest, many were sent from all across India. I didn’t send any for I felt he didn’t even deserve this much attention.

For the past five years I have worn a pink ribbon through October for international breast cancer awareness month. I am still asked what it is for. When the pink chaddi campaign was going on, I couldn’t help but wonder how people latched on to it while many are not aware of the pink ribbon, something that has been used for years as a symbol for a disease.

I am even asked if the pink ribbon I wear is for AIDS. That also shocks me, as for years the red ribbon has been used for that cause, and is always in our face from posters and TV ads. That’s why people spending money just to send pink chaddis to some man sitting in Karnataka annoyed me. Why can’t someone send a pink ribbon for an awareness campaign?

I want whoever has read this, to send a pink ribbon to a woman they love, with the following message. And please follow it up.

The pink ribbon is the international symbol for breast cancer awareness

Early detection is still the surest way of completely treating breast cancer.

I want you to go for a mammogram and a physical check up.

Because I care about you.

Pink ribbon

I made my first pink ribbon four years ago and wore it through October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in many countries. Then I began to wear one through October every year.
The reactions I get from people are surprising.

“What is this for? Is it some kind of an AIDS thing?”
Me: “No. The red ribbon stands for AIDS. This is the symbol for breast cancer awareness.”

“Can men wear it?”
Me: Of course, if they want to support the cause, they can. And yes, men can also get breast cancer.

“Okay, but why are you wearing it?”
Me: It’s my personal campaign against breast cancer.
“Does it work, wearing the ribbon?”
But this time a colleague said, “Well, you asked her and she told you about the disease, didn’t she? Now you know.”

But some such reactions only remind me time and again, that much more awareness is needed.

It was in the early 90s that it was decided the pink ribbon would be the symbol of breast cancer. In 1991 the Komen Foundation distributed them at a race. The Estee Lauder company is also said to have had a say in deciding
on the colour of the ribbon.

Over time, the colour pink has come to symbolize breast cancer. Some organizations sell pink merchandise like T shirts to help raise money for research. As the writer of My breast cancer blog at cancerspot.org says, anything pink that reminds you of breast cancer and makes you go in for a check up.

In the USA and the UK, people organize pink days at office. This means they wear something pink to work. Prizes are given to the person who wears most pink, for instance, and the money is given for research. What a simple and beautiful idea.

We Indians love to celebrate our ‘days’. From friendship day, to rose day, to jeans day. We’ve loved to participate in such days through our college years and even later, at work. So why not have a pink ribbon day? You could ask your colleagues and boss if everyone could wear a pink ribbon to office one day. You could ask your gym instructor to wear a pink ribbon. You could ask your group of friends to wear pink ribbons. Tell people about the pink ribbon and its cause. The more pink ribbons worn, the more the awareness created. It is only when people know the reason behind a ribbon will they start to think of it, and go for a check up themselves and tell a loved one about the need to go for a check up for breast cancer. You could also give a certain amount of money contributed by each person who wears the ribbon, to a breast cancer related cause.
And one doesn’t need to wait for October to wear a pink ribbon.

Wear a pink ribbon, and write to me about your experience.