The Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) organised a Breast Cancer Awareness session under the theme “Stand Together This Pinktober Act Now Live Strong” to highlight the importance of early detection, prevention and collective responsibility in the fight against breast cancer.
The event was chaired by Vice Chairperson Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo and featured keynote addresses by Syeda Salma Saeed Hashmi, Member Provincial Assembly and PSPA board member, and Sidra Humayun, UN Women Programme Coordinator for Punjab. Speakers emphasised practical steps for screening and community engagement to strengthen breast cancer awareness across the province.
In her address, Vice Chairperson Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo cited global and national figures to underscore urgency: 2.3 million women affected worldwide, roughly 90,000 new cases reported each year in Pakistan and an estimated 40,000 annual deaths. She noted that one in nine women in Pakistan will face a breast cancer diagnosis and stressed that timely diagnosis makes breast cancer highly treatable.
The session highlighted PSPA’s wider commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, pointing to an inclusive and gender-balanced workplace with strong female representation. Speakers connected health awareness to social empowerment, arguing that informed communities and equal opportunity play a key role in improving outcomes for women across Punjab.
PSPA also showcased its women-focused initiatives, including the Zewar-e-Taleem Program supporting girls education and the Aghosh and Khud Mukhtar programs that provide maternal support, promote financial inclusion and foster entrepreneurship for women. These programs were presented as complementary efforts to Breast Cancer Awareness by addressing long-term wellbeing and economic resilience.
Syeda Salma Saeed Hashmi praised PSPA’s approach, calling awareness a shared health and social responsibility, while Sidra Humayun of UN Women highlighted the importance of partnership to advance women’s health and collective action. The session concluded with a renewed pledge by PSPA and participants to continue advocacy for women’s health, screenings and equality to build a stronger, healthier Punjab.
