Each October, the world turns pink. Streets, offices, and social media timelines transform into vibrant displays of compassion and solidarity. The color pink has become synonymous with Breast Cancer Awareness Month a powerful global emblem of resilience, unity, and hope.
Yet beneath this wave of pink lies an uncomfortable truth: our collective narrative around breast cancer remains unintentionally exclusive.
In Botswana, breast cancer is the second most common cancer overall, representing a significant share of new cancer cases each year. While women bear the greatest burden, men are not immune. Research indicates that a notable percentage of breast cancer cases in Botswana occur in men. However, public discourse rarely reflects this reality. The campaigns, the language, the imagery they all center women. Men are often absent from the story, leading to delayed diagnoses, stigma, and silence.
Pink, as a color, has been instrumental in galvanizing awareness. It symbolizes care and femininity and rightly so. But it also subtly reinforces the perception that breast cancer is a “women’s disease.” To evolve toward true inclusivity, perhaps it’s time to reimagine the symbols we use.
What if we complemented pink with blue a color often associated with masculinity to create a dual-gender ribbon that acknowledges all those affected? Such a gesture would not merely change the color palette; it would reshape the conversation. It would invite men into spaces where their stories, struggles, and survivorship also matter.
Inclusivity is not about shifting focus away from women it’s about expanding the circle of care.
It calls for language that recognizes all genders, screening programs that educate men on their risk factors, and support systems that welcome every survivor. It requires data that accurately reflects the full spectrum of those affected, ensuring that no life is overlooked in research, policy, or care.
To leaders across all sectors health, business, and beyond his is a call to action. Examine your campaigns. Whose experiences are amplified, and whose are missing? Rethink policies to be representative of the real communities you serve. Fund initiatives that bring marginalized voices into the center. Use your influence to normalize conversations about male health and vulnerability.
Inclusion is not a buzzword. It is a leadership principle. It demands empathy, intentionality, and the courage to challenge tradition in pursuit of equity.
As we mark another Pink October, let’s go beyond the color and towards a movement that embraces everyone touched by breast cancer. Because awareness, when inclusive, becomes transformation.
By Modiri Nlanda, Orange Botswana People & Social Impact (HR) Director
