The iconic Eiffel Tower of Paris was illuminated in pink on Monday night as part of the ‘Pink October’ campaign, a worldwide one-month operation to raise awareness and collect money to fight breast cancer, the most frequent and deadliest cancer for women.
October is breast cancer awareness month and Paris officials did their part to raise awareness by lighting the Eiffel Tower in pink.
The illumination is part of the Ruban Rose (pink ribbon which is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness) event launched by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who witnessed the spectacle on Monday night.
Organisers said lighting up the tower in pink was “more than a symbol – it’s a sign of victory over this illness”.
My heart goes to all the women who fight against breast cancer 💗💗
#EiffelTower in pink tonight #Paris 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/eMvaV8O3Ya
— Bob Sinclar (@bobsinclar) September 28, 2015
Worldwide, breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in women, accounting for 25% of all cases. In 2012, it resulted in 1.68 million cases and 522,000 deaths. It is more common in developed countries and is more than 100 times more common in women than in men.
According to official data, breast cancer is quite prevalent in France. The most recent figures showed that over 50,000 women in France are diagnosed with the cancer each year and that 11,900 women died from it in 2012.