In the pink?: The NFL and women’s health

Oct. 1 begins Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as usual the NFL will be up to its helmets in pink paraphernalia. But pardon me if it’s seems more than a tad hypocritical this year with all the domestic abuse scandals rocking the league.

It’s great that the NFL is concerned about advertisers, er, women getting cancer. But a woman with a cracked skull might have more immediate concerns, you know?

In the meantime, domestic abuse organizations are keeping up the pressure. Hope’s Door in Pleasantville recently issued a “Call to Action” as we mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.

“Unfortunately, the recent horrific incidents involving the NFL remind us that domestic violence continues to be a major societal problem that can no longer be ignored,” said Jane Aoyama-Martin, executive director of The Pace Women’s Justice Center said. “I am encouraged by the public outrage, since years ago it would have been swept under the rug and ignored.”

The “Call to Action” focused on prevention.

“It’s vital that we not dwell only on what one individual did or didn’t do, but rather to ask ourselves what each of us can do to create communities in which intimate partner violence is never committed or even joked about in the first place. Prevention must be our ultimate goal,” said CarlLa Horton, executive director of Hope’s Door. “To start, we must believe that change is possible. And it is. However, each of us has a role to play. In this ‘Call to Action,’ we ask each of you to do your part. Don’t look the other way when someone you like or admire is abusive. We must hold ourselves, businesses, celebrities, friends and family members accountable. Most importantly, don’t blame the victim no matter how confounding her decisions may seem to you.”

Anyone needing help with domestic violence here in Westchester County, N.Y. may call one of the county’s 24-hour hotlines – Hope’s Door at 888-438-8700; My Sister’s Place at 800-298-7233; or Victims Assistance Services at 914-345-9111. 

Meanwhile, The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury is once again hosting its 4k SafeWalk at the Danbury Fair Mall Oct. 5, beginning at 9 a.m.,  to draw attention to the fact that one in four women will be abused in her lifetime and that victims aren’t limited to the female sex. To sign up, visit http://www.wcogd.org