In a controversial breast cancer online campaign women are being encouraged to post photographs of their breasts to raise money for cancer research in New Zealand. This Wednesday more than 60 photographs of breasts including bare, bikini-clad and breastfeeding ones were posted online. The campaign caused the website to crash on Wednesday afternoon, with people flocking to the online magazine aimed at women in their 20s and 30s.
The website nzgirl promised that for every 50 pictures it would donate $NZ1,000 ($A776) to breast cancer awareness, up to the value of $NZ5,000 (AUD 3,883), though a specific recipient organization has not yet been chosen and the campaign is not supported by the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation.
Website editor-in-chief Tee Twyford said they wanted to do something “a little bit different in a noisy environment.” She said, “This campaign is about being proud of your breasts and being aware of them.” She said, “I had a call from the Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF) this morning who are supportive of the campaign and agree that anything that enables awareness of an individuals breasts and their health is a positive thing.” But the NZBCF marketing and communications manager, Suzanne McNicol denied such contact. “I’ve actually spoken to her and asked her to retract that comment because that wasn’t the case… She actually rang me and I spoke to her about it and ... basically, what I said was: we’re not going to say that it’s a bad idea, but we certainly can’t say it's a good idea because it’s not fundraising for us, it’s not something we’d do…For us as an organization, what’s disappointing about all of this is that it’s focusing attention away from where it should be which is about awareness of breast cancer and what women can do to make sure that they are safe.”
The Australian Breast Cancer Foundation declined to comment.
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