Don’t Forget About Women’s Issues after October

Saturday starts two important awareness months: domestic violence and breast cancer. We need to pay special attention to these issues because they impact far too many women (and men) we know and love.

 

 

While researchers have made great strides in providing cutting-edge treatments, the overall number of breast cancer diagnoses in the past 30 years has more than doubled from 641,000 to 1.64 million annually, according to a new global study.

Meanwhile, an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.   These numbers aren’t going to go away anytime soon without communities (and women) coming together to highlight the problems and solutions. 

That’s why it’s great to see so many October events in Maryland to spotlight these issues—ranging from Merritt Athletic Club’s breast cancer event Saturday to Robert Andrews Day Spa’s pink fashion event next week. The Columbia Art Association also will hold a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, featuring inspiration from a domestic violence survivor.

But don’t let the enthusiasm for breast cancer and domestic violence die down after Halloween. Be sure to support other events—like The Pink Event in March—that celebrate women and their triumph over these monumental struggles. Find more details here.