 MenCare Corporate Launch, Kuala Lumpur – 7 Oct 2010
By Dr Evelyn Ho
Yang Berhormat Senator Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil graced the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) MenCare Corporate Programme Launch supported by Pfizer (Malaysia) at the Sime Darby Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur. The guests included corporate partners, NGOs, cancer support groups, NCWO affiliates and the media.
The NCWO MenCare Initiative, a collaboration between Pfizer and NCWO, is an advocacy programme which endeavours to encourage men to support breast cancer screening for the women in their lives, to reduce morbidity and mortality as a result of breast cancer. The first phase of the MenCare Initiative was launched in 2006 where a training manual and handbook for service providers was produced. This was to engage men to be more aware about breast health and breast disease. In MenCare 2007, regional workshops were held to increase the mass of MenCare advocates on a national level.
The third phase focuses on incorporating MenCare Policies in the corporate sector to educate and empower men to support women in their lives and encouraging them to go for breast cancer screening. The Corporate Outreach Programme is conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development which is lending its full support to engage and gain the support of husbands, fathers, and other members of the male community to increase awareness and uptake of screening for breast cancer. Yang Bahagia Dato’ Ramani Gurusamy spoke on behalf of the NCWO President, Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahbudin at the recent launch. She said, “Awareness, understanding and support from the senior personnel of government agencies, corporations and the community, to take action to introduce and integrate policies, regulations, resources and programmes for male support of breast screening services goes a long way for a better quality of life for Malaysian women and a better chance for women in fighting the disease.” She added that NCWO would continue to push towards a better quality of life for Malaysian women whilst engaging Malaysian men. NCWO was pleased to be in partnership with Pfizer Malaysia to achieve this end.
The MenCare Advocacy Programme was a 3-year endeavour to enlist male staff in key positions in the government, corporate and community sectors to consider policies and regulations in the work place that promote male support of breast cancer screening and treatment. The policies would be incorporated as part of the medical/health insurance package offered by the employers within the workplace, a formal procedure that allows time–off for male staff to provide support for women for breast cancer screening and promotion of breast cancer awareness for both sexes. Yang Berhormat Senator Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, announced the partners – Pfizer Malaysia, Felda, IMBA Malaysia, the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) and MCIS Zurich and each received a MenCare Corporate Kit providing guidance for the implementation of MenCare activities and policies in their respective organisations.
Angel Choi, Managing Director for Pfizer Malaysia/Brunei emphasized that Pfizer Malaysia has been a dedicated MenCare partner since 2006. Their collaboration was a reflection of their corporate mission “Working Together For A Healthier World”. She hoped more companies would participate in this initiative in the coming months so that MenCare will become a movement in its own right and a concept that is adopted across the board for all bodies eventually.
About the NCWO
ncwo.womencommunity.net
www.ncwomalaysia.org.my
NCWO is one of the leading advocates of women’s rights in the sustainable development and advancement of society.
The council’s mission is to unite women’s organisations and cooperate with national, regional and international organisations in order to:
• Respect, protect and fulfill women's rights
• Promote the development and advancement of women at all levels
• Advocate and monitor the full participation, inclusion and representation of women in decision making
• Ensure that women have equitable access to and are equal agents and beneficiaries of development
For more about Pfizer Malaysia, go to www.pfizer.com.my
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