What is Pinkwashing and How Does it Affect Breast Cancer Survivors

It's officially October, which means it's officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month...and you've probably noticed a lot of pink.

Brands are rolling out items in limited-edition pink offerings, or maybe they're launching a whole collection devoted to breast cancer awareness. It's easy to indulge in some shopping, especially if the brands promise to donate a portion of their proceeds to a breast cancer-related cause.

But where does it cross the line from supporting an important women's health cause into pinkwashing?

According to BreastCancer.org: "Pinkwashing is a type of cause marketing — which is a partnership between for-profit businesses and charitable groups — that uses the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon to promote their goods or services."

This doesn't mean that every campaign or product that uses a pink ribbon or the breast cancer awareness label is guilty of pinkwashing. Sometimes the term applies when a brand uses this ribbon while selling a product that might increase a person's risk of breast cancer, for example.

According to a TikTok video from a breast cancer survivor, a lot of companies will add a pink ribbon to a product, yet keep all the profits instead of donating them to causes that benefit those affected by breast cancer.

Another creator points out that some companies will claim they're donating a portion of their proceeds, yet won't clarify what percentage. In some cases, the amount they donate is negligible. One brand, for example, is under fire for donating just 2 percent of their proceeds of a capsule collection advertised as a way to give back to benefit the Susan B. Komen foundation.

The complicated thing with pinkwashing? Often it is insidious. It really comes down to a performative approach to supporting people affected by breast cancer rather than a genuine one. And as we all know, there's no clear line between genuine and performative activism.

It raises another question, though: Why is breast cancer one of the only women's health causes that gets this kind of attention? Is it because it's has such clear branding — because creating items in cute pink shades feels so monetizable, almost trendy? It's starting to feel almost...easy to release a pink item or collection, slap the breast cancer label on it, and let the profits roll in.

Why aren't we seeing this volume of awareness-driving campaigns for infertility, or maternal mental health, or endometriosis, or so many of the other issues that affect women? That's not to take away from the importance or the impact of breast cancer awareness. It's just to say that when comes to breast cancer awareness, we need to remember the real mission. It's not just to sell cute pink items: It's to improve women's health outcomes.