Breast ironing

{{sex}}'''Breast ironing''' or '''breast flattening''' is a 'traditional' practice primarily observed in {{wpl|Cameroon|Cameroon}} and regions of Africa as a way to try to prevent adolescent girls from growing [[breasts]]. This is typically attempted by pounding or massaging the [[breast]]s with heated objects such as wooden pestles, coconut shells, stones, bananas, spatulas, or leaves.<ref>Sylvestre Tetchiada, [http://www.ipsnews.net/2006/06/rights-cameroon-an-unwelcome-gift-of-god/ RIGHTS-CAMEROON: An Unwelcome "Gift of God"]. ''Inter Press Service'', 13 June 2006.</ref> Reasons for this 'ritual' include the belief that it will prevent the girls from being victims of [[rape]], to deter unwanted sexual attention from men, to avoid early [[marriage]], to avoid early [[pregnancy]] that would shame the family, and to allow the girls to complete their schooling.<ref>Randy Joe Sa'ah, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5107360.stm Cameroon girls battle "breast ironing"]. ''BBC'', 23 June 2006.</ref> The idea that preventing girls from developing breasts would make them less likely to be raped is ridiculous, considering that pre-pubescent children and adult men (neither of whom have breasts) are ''also'' often victims of rape, both in Africa and in the West, and a lack of breasts certainly isn't going to prevent pregnancies. Of course, the fact that they are so worried about the risk of rape, and are willing to take such drastic measures to prevent it, is troubling in and of itself.

==Cameroon's "tradition"==
Breast ironing is a widespread epidemic in Cameroon where studies have found 50% of adolescent girls living in cities and 25% of all girls nationwide have been subjected to 'ironing'; it is more common in the urban areas due to sexual advances being more prevalent. Cameroon has over 200 ethnic groups and, despite their different customs and norms, they all practice breast ironing. Cameroon's Gender Empowerment and Development (GeED) organization found that female relatives are usually the perpetrators who perform this 'ritual', and they found around 58% of the "flattening" cases had been done by the child's mother.<ref name=ohchr>Rosaline Ngunshi, [http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/HarmfulPractices/GenderEmpowermentandDevelopment.pdf Breast Ironing : A harmful traditional practice in Cameroon]. Gender Empowerment and Development (Cameroon), August 2011.</ref>

The practice has been said to have begun due to women believing it would help them produce better [[Breastfeeding|breast milk]], but rising numbers of rapes and teen pregnancies convinced mothers to perform the 'ironing' on their daughters in hopes of warding off sexual assaults and pregnancies. With the increase in rapes following the rise of [[Boko Haram]] (who use it as a weapon of war), this practice has become more common as parents try to use breast ironing to save their daughters from being attacked or abducted by making them look pre-adolescent.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/30/they-re-mutilating-little-girls-breasts-in-cameroon-to-protect-them-from-boko-haram.html They’re Mutilating Little Girls' Breasts in Cameroon to "Protect Them" From Boko Haram]. ''The Daily Beast'', 30 November 2015.</ref>

While Cameroon did ratify the African Charter on [[human rights]] and [[Feminism|rights of women]] in Africa (which included the right to protection against harmful traditional practices), they have passed no laws against breast ironing.

==Health concerns==
For whatever reasons, no medical studies have been conducted to analyze the effects of breast ironing.<ref>[http://fic.tufts.edu/assets/Understanding-breast-flattening.pdf Understanding Breast "Ironing"]. ''Feinstein International Center''</ref> In addition to the pain and [[psychological]] trauma, medical experts have observed many health concerns that can be caused by the 'ironing'. The United States State Department has reported that breast ironing can result in "burns, deformities, and psychological problems".<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/27/cameroon.breast.ironing/index.html Breast ironing tradition targeted in Cameroon]. ''CNN'', 27 July 2011.</ref> According to the United Nations Population Fund, breast ironing can cause numerous health problems including cysts, abscesses, dissymmetry of the breasts, infections, and may even result in the disappearance of one or both breasts.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080410004201/http://current.com/items/88852332_breast_ironing Breast Ironing]. Archived from ''Current'', 25 February 2008.</ref>

A Cameroonian mother named Philomene Moungang spoke about her experiences with breast ironing. Moungang began 'ironing' her two daughters when they were eight years old, believing it was for "their own good." She had to take one of the girls to the hospital after she developed blisters and abscesses. The doctor informed the mother that she could "ruin" her daughter. Sadly, one of Moungang's daughters almost lost her first child due to the damage breast ironing had done: "When Mariane married and delivered her first baby, it took a long time — about a month — for her breasts to start producing milk and the child almost died. I was told it was because I had ironed her breasts. I was frightened."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100521013221/http://www.crin.org/violence/search/closeup.asp?infoID=9218 Millions of Cameroon girls suffer "breast ironing"]. Archived from ''Child Rights Information Network'', 13 July 2006.</ref>

==Evidence for it preventing rape==
[[File:Tumbleweed.gif]]

==Opposition==
{{cquote|If society has been silent about it up to now it is because, like other harmful practices done to women such as female genital mutilation, it was thought to be good for the girl… even the victims themselves thought it was good for them.|||Flavien Ndonko, Anthropologist and representative of German Development Agency GTZ<ref name=ohchr />{{rp|3}}}}

Various organizations such as Cameroon's Network of Aunties Association (RENATA) or Germany’s Association for International Co-operation (GTZ) have been campaigning for years to raise awareness and put an end to breast ironing.<ref>Emily Dugan, [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/breast-ironing-girls-have-chests-flattened-out-to-disguise-the-onset-of-puberty-8842435.html "Breast ironing": Girls "have chests flattened out" to disguise the onset of puberty]. ''The Independent'', 26 September 2013.</ref> The Friends of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) consider breast ironing to be a human rights violation and have estimated around four million girls — some as young as nine- years old — have been affected by it.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130223015736/http://www.ebony.com/black-listed/news-views/fighting-against-breast-ironing-in-cameroon-981 Fighting Against Breast Ironing in Cameroon]. Archived from ''Ebony'', 21 February 2013.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Female genital mutilation]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Women's rights]]

Categories: Women's rights