‘Women hide problems’
Akbar urges women to come forward to seek help for their needs
WOMEN hide their problems, says Minister for Women and Poverty Alleviation Rosy Akbar. While speaking at the Pinktober and International Rural Women’s Day celebrations in Ba yesterday, Ms Akbar explained the importance of women coming forward to seek help for their needs. “Women hide their problems because they think if their family comes to know about it, how will they see her?” she said. “You are going to be seen as being sickly or you will probably be rejected because there is a stigma with breast cancer. “But let me tell you the reality of breast cancer according to the women I’ve met and from the survivors, it is a disease. “It is a disease, but you are still you and there is medical help available. “We have our medical health centres and our divisional hospitals and they are there to help you.” She said breast cancer affected every woman at any age. “There is a myth that only when you grow old then you will get breast cancer. “That is not true. “We need our mothers, our daughters, our aunts, nieces and grandmothers to please get a check done just so that you clear yourself from this disease or detect it early if there is a problem.” She said support from men was also key to ensuring women were able to survive breast cancer. “One of the shocking things I always come across is when a woman undergoes treatment and they have to their breasts removed, the men leave them to go through it alone. “It is quite sad and I hope that our men provide the very important support system that our women going through this need.”