Making it Our Business

"Making It Our Business Program Overview and Resources"

An estimated 25 million women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the next 25 years. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women, and the numbers are on the rise. Ten million women could die without a cure.

Although breast cancer is a global disease, reaction and approach to diagnosis and treatment vary greatly due to a country’s cultural norms and economic means. It has been documented that Arab nationals tend to develop breast cancer at least a decade earlier than women in Western countries. Investment in education and awareness in breast health not only leads to early detection of the disease at its most treatable stage, but it also makes economic sense.

In response to calls from women in the Middle East who are leading the fight against breast cancer, the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research was created. Announced by Mrs. Laura Bush in June 2006, the Partnership is the first collaborative effort to help countries in the Middle East fight breast cancer through improved awareness, clinical resources, and world-class research.

The Partnership is facilitated by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), uniting Susan G. Komen for the Cure and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center with local partners in the region. The Partnership provides help at a critical time, bringing together organizations from the Middle East and the United States to increase breast cancer awareness, research activities, and workplace education programs and support mechanisms for women in the Middle East.

In October, 2007, First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush visited Dubai and announced the commitment of 12 Charter Companies to the Making it Our Business workplace awareness program, a new activity of the US- Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness. This program has been implemented by Vital Voices Global Partnership with the support of the Middle East Partnership Initiative and local partners such as the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and King Hussein Cancer Foundation.

The premise of the program is that educating women about the risk factors for breast cancer and encouraging them to engage in an early detection routine can go a long way toward ensuring healthy lives. By becoming a strategic collaborator in the fight against breast cancer, companies in the region can enhance their public image, boost employee morale, and demonstrate their concern for the healthy wellbeing of their employees, customers, and community.

The Partnership organizes and conducts train-the-trainer workshops to empower employees to spread the word in the fight against breast cancer. These trainings enable employees to lead awareness sessions within their companies and communities.

Launched so far in Jordan and Dubai, many of the committed companies have pledged to reach 100% of their female employees and a large percentage of male employees, families and spouses through this program. It is projected that this program will reach about 4,000 women in Dubai and several hundred in Jordan.

Program Activities

In February 2008, Susan Brown, Director of Education at Susan G. Komen for the Cure travelled to Dubai to conduct the first train-the-trainer program with the assistance of the Master Trainer. The two day training was attended by over 50 employees from the 12 charter companies. Surveys taken after the train-the-trainer workshop revealed that 87% of participants agreed that the workshop increased their knowledge about breast cancer.

While the charter companies in Dubai were hosting workplace awareness programs, Jordan was also developing a Making it Our Business initiative. Vital Voices, working collaboratively with the King Hussein Cancer Foundation launched Making it Our Business in March 2008 in honor of Mother’s Day, with the support and involvement of five companies including Jordinvest, Toyota, Intercontinental Hotel, Zain and ArabTech.

In April 2008, Vital Voices’ local coordinator in Jordan successfully convened the first train-the-trainer program. The event drew 15 participants from the 5 charter companies and addressed topics such as the risk factors of breast cancer, how to administer a breast self-exam and how to present the material in front of an audience. At the close of the training, Princess Dina Mired, Director of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, presented completion certificates to the participants. Since the launch of this first event, several companies have shown their interest in participating in Making it Our Business, and the second train-the-trainer workshop was held late July 2008 with HSBC Bank Jordan, Siniora Foods, CitiBank, and Umniah Telecommunication participating

The excitement in Dubai for the program has been tangible, as a second train-the-trainer workshop was held in April 2008 at Microsoft attracting 16 employee volunteers. This particular training was touching as all the participants had been directly affected by breast cancer and had a strong sense of commitment to the program. Through 23 workplace workshops held in Dubai to date, over 60 volunteer employees have been empowered to educate and inform 300 of their colleagues on the risks and prevention means of breast cancer.

Making it Our Business Overview
MIOB Company Action Plan
MIOB Company Quarterly Evaluation
MIOB Update

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