Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too want to congratulate the member for Shortland for giving the House an opportunity to acknowledge that 22 October is Pink Ribbon Day. On this day each year we all pause to note that the rate of breast cancer amongst women continues to increase and the disease still remains the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in Australia. In noting this fact, we also pause to remember those women, whether they be family, close friends or even those unknown to us, who have lost their lives to breast cancer. We pause to remember the lives they lived. We stand in solidarity with their friends and loved ones, but we also pause to give moral support to those women who are currently dealing with breast cancer.

We also acknowledge those women who have survived breast cancer, because despite the increase in breast cancer diagnosis the good news is that so too is there a significant increase in the survival rate of women with breast cancer. To this we owe a great debt to the gifted minds who make up the medical and scientific research community who persevere with amazing dedication in their pursuit of the ultimate breakthrough, and that is of course a cure for cancer related disease and, in this instance, a cure for breast cancer. We acknowledge that Australian doctors and scientists have been at the forefront of medical breakthroughs such as vaccines and other medications, but they have also been at the forefront of preventative measures and screening procedures that are critical to the overall survival rates of people who contract cancer generally and breast cancer specifically.

So 22 October is the standard-bearer of the entire month of October, which is dedicated to breast cancer awareness on an international scale. I have spoken many times in this House about breast cancer and in the course of my parliamentary career I have always focused on playing my role in the critical area of awareness and prevention. In particular I have concentrated on addressing barriers to awareness, which is critical to screening and early detection. I am all too aware of language and cultural barriers that can and do prevent women from taking the necessary steps to protect themselves through the early diagnosis of breast cancer, because one thing is for certain: with this particular condition, early detection is paramount to long-term survival. So access and equity is a fundamental principle that does and should continue to underlie policy and service in this area.

Last year I spoke about a campaign called Women Die Waiting. It is a campaign run by Anglicord Australia and it draws attention to the plight of women who by virtue of living in the Gaza Strip cannot access life-saving treatments or potentially life-saving screening because of the restrictions placed on their freedoms by the Israeli Defence Force. This year I am pleased to bring to the attention of the House another campaign, initiated by Medipalestine, called 'give her back confidence'. It was launched during October as part of an ongoing effort to help women in Palestine struggling with breast cancer diagnosis. Medipalestine is a Swiss not-for-profit association working in Palestine. Funding for the association comes from membership, contributions and donations and its job essentially is to ensure that Palestinian women, regardless of religion, political orientation, nationality or class, have access to high-quality medical care.

One of Medipalestine's projects is the establishment of Dunya, which is a women's cancer clinic in Ramallah. In Palestine breast cancer patients are often left in a huge vacuum. Not only do they have to contend with the initial shock of the diagnosis, but all too often they are left feeling helpless. In cases where a mastectomy is required, women experience all sorts of feelings of inferiority and desperation that are, of course, familiar to all women. For women, a breast is more than just a body part. It is a symbol of her femininity, her sexuality and of course motherhood. So dealing with the results of breast cancer is hard enough without the additional burden of living in the West Bank.

The availability of breast prostheses can alleviate some of this burden and restore confidence to women. The problem is that breast prostheses are very expensive and not affordable to Palestinian women. So Medipalestine is running this campaign in order to raise funds by encouraging people to donate a breast enhancement or a prosthesis. It is expected that throughout the month of October significant donations will be made so as to purchase enough breast prostheses to assist women with breast cancer in Palestine. I want to draw the attention of the House to this particular program and commend it to the House.

See this speech in context