Purpose of This Hub

7 women stand and smile forthe camera

From left to right: Abigail Appiahene-Afriyie, Shireen Spencer, Dawn Barker, Debbie Pottinger, Talina Higgins, Rumaisa Khan & Ielaf Khalil. Missing: Dr. Aisha Lofters, Leila Springer, Ayan Hashi and Noor Rizvi

We know that Black women experience breast cancer much differently than non-Black women. Many health and social programs center around whiteness and can be unwelcoming spaces that do not always cater to their unique experiences. Misogynoir, a unique form of misogyny and anti-Black racism, also plays a role in how Black women experience and interact with the healthcare system. The dominance of white/pink breast imagery, lack of melanated skin representation, and absence of specific research and resources can perpetuate the erasure of Black women’s experiences.

We’ve had to rely on US data to understand how Black women have been disproportionately impacted by breast cancer. In Canada, where we don’t routinely collect race-based data, there is very little research to support what we know exists in our communities and what we see in the healthcare system.

This Black History and Black Futures Month, we are celebrating the launch of the very first resource hub for Black women across Canada navigating their own breast cancer journey. This webpage was created for Black women, by Black women, with input from clinicians, scientists and researchers in the breast cancer space. We hope Black women will be able to access critical and timely information tailored specifically for them, to allow them to feel heard, seen and represented throughout their care.

Learn more about the importance of this hub in a segment with CTV Toronto.

– The Project Team and Co-Creators from The Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers at Women’s College Hospital

peter giligan centre for womens cancer logo and the olive branch of hope logo

References | Glossary | Graphics Designed Nafisa Salima
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