Two medical students are promoting breast cancer awareness by wearing pink ribbons and a pink hijab in Sabratha, Libya. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Today, on March 8th, celebrate International Women’s Day with The Maurer Foundation! This day, which honors women’s achievements and advancements across the globe, is celebrated by organizations of all kinds, including an annual recognition by the UN—and, in recent years, the illustrious honor of a special Google logo.
At the Maurer Foundation, of course, we want to encourage our readers to spend the day considering women’s empowerment through better health, and better prevention of diseases like breast cancer. Today, more than ever, women are speaking up and taking ownership of their own health to ensure a brighter, healthier future for themselves and their daughters. While pink ribbons and boisterous fundraising races may garner more attention, we know that every day women are making smart choices and taking small steps towards healthier lives—and those are small victories worth celebrating!
If a tired working mom skips the drive-through and makes a nutritious dinner instead, that choice improves her health and the health of her children. When two young women take time to go for a hike instead of hitting the bars, that is real-life sisterhood. And when a high school teacher allows a Maurer Foundation instructor to spend class time to teach a breast health program in her class so teenage girls can learn how to check for lumps in self-exams, that can be a life-saving investment in women and women’s health.
So honor women today by empowering one! Grab a friend and cook a healthy meal together. Skip the mall and visit the farmer’s market to stock up on cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables. Or just email her a link to our breast health alarm clock reminder, so she’ll never forget her monthly breast self-exam or annual mammogram.
How will you celebrate International Women’s Day?