Breast Ironing- African Young Girls Ordeal

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Halloo,

Have you heard of Breast Ironing? This especially common among certain Africans?

I admit this is a new one for me. To think that this is a very common practice in Cameroon, a close neighbour of Nigeria- my home country- and I am completely in the dark is not just a wonder but troubling too.

That goes to show you that we learn every day.

I know the upper-class British women of the old days wrap their bosoms tightly before dressing but never knew that some Africans do it. What a sheltered life I had!

I came across the term- Breast Ironing- by chance. I was reading an article on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and it was mentioned. I got curious and went to search it up. Imagine my horror at what I discovered. If I wasn’t a feminist before, I will become one after seeing this.

Breast ironing, also known as breast flattening, is the pounding and massaging of a pubescent girl’s breasts, using hard or heated objects, to try to make them stop developing or disappear. This practice is also known as breast sweeping.

Why? You asked? You are not alone in this curiosity. Why do this to a young girl? I mean, don’t young girls have enough societal burdens plied unto them? Why, for goodness sake, why?

My research shows that this is done to prevent early pregnancies, rape, and other types of sexual harassment of adolescent girls. It is a known practice in Cameroon. Countries like Togo, Chad, Benin, and Guinea Bissau are also known to practice this.

The idea is to make the girl less attractive to men. Her growing body will make her object of interest and men will start paying her attention.

Breast Ironing is performed by using heated tools like stones, spatulas, and pestles to pound or massage the chests of the girls. This is to prevent the breasts from developing. Some wrap bandages tightly around the girl’s chest to prevent growth.

I hope you are as enraged as I am. The poor girls who had to go through this just to have a chance to have a normal childhood… This is in the same category as female genital mutilation (FGM).

When a girl starts growing breasts, she is at a very difficult stage in her life and very self-conscious. To make the situation even direr Breast Ironing is introduced, making her, even more, self-conscious. You don’t have to be a psychiatrist to know that this is a slippery road to emotional trauma.

Apart from the emotional trauma and humiliation, this practice can leave physical scars, infections, and some health complications later in life. Yet, most people claimed it didn’t stop their breasts from growing anyway.

Do you see why I have no problem declaring myself as a FEMINIST? I don’t know about you but I think the societal treatment of women is appalling. Yes, situations are improving but we still have a long way to go in changing things.

The mothers who do this to their daughters or stood by and let this be done may have the best intentions like preventing early pregnancies, early marriages or letting the girls get an adequate education. Who can blame them?

Breast ironing won’t be necessary to stop all that if only we can stop objectifying females as sex objects.

Don’t be fooled, some of these mothers perform breast ironing on their daughters just so they don’t bring shame to the family, not for the good of the girls. They are more interested in what society will say rather than the welfare of their daughters. The whole thing is just too traumatic for me to comprehend.

This is gender-based violence. Imagine this being done on you on daily basis for years, which will leave permanent scars. Emotional and physical traumas from this are better left to the imagination. Why?

I get emotional on issues like these because I grew up in Nigeria and know how much less value is placed on a female child than her male counterpart. I have seen a lot of unspeakable things done to girls and all swept under the carpets to protect the family image.

This is one of the reasons I get annoyed with some women behaving badly in the name of feminism. I think they are distracting people from real issues like this one.

This is not a practice done in the olden days only, it is still being carried out as you read this. Also, this is not something that only practiced in some remote villages in Africa. It is happening right here in Europe, especially among African immigrants. Read about it here.

If a mother truly wants to protect her daughter from predators, there have to be other helpful ways than breast ironing.

First, let those of us, women, with sons go home and train our sons properly. Teach your sons and any other male in your care to see females as equals, not sexual objects. Show them how important it is to respect women. Demand respect from the men in your lives, believe me, the children are watching.

Let’s stop recycling this idea that men are amorous in nature. Most of them just lack self-control and society endorse their behaviour.

Let’s teach our daughters and all girls in our lives about choices. Let them know they have choices and they are free to exercise them. Teach them how to protect themselves in a healthy way. Empower them. Free them from harmful cultural, religious, or societal rules. Be there to guide them not force them. Build in them the confidence of walking away from situations where their choices are not respected.

I don’t think I can do full justice to Breast Ironing due to my limited knowledge and time. I have added the links to the resources I used for my research. Please, read them if you are interested in knowing more.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4wbqdj/cameroon-tradition-flattening-chests-876

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/breast-ironing-cameroon-harmful-practice-girls/

https://www.stopvaw.org/harmful_practices_breast_ironing

https://www.newsweek.com/2017/08/11/breast-ironing-painful-girls-going-through-puberty-cameroon-mothers-often-do-645388.html

https://www.theweek.co.uk/71429/what-is-breast-ironing-and-how-common-is-it-in-britain

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4wbqdj/cameroon-tradition-flattening-chests-876

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/fgm-uk-britain-leyla-hussein-stats-integrate-brist/

https://www.stopvaw.org/harmful_practices_breast_ironing

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/child-marriage-brides-india-niger-syria/

https://www.voanews.com/africa/teen-pregnancies-create-health-challenges-cameroon

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/surviving-breast-ironing-in-cameroon/

https://borgenproject.org/the-practice-of-breast-ironing/

Stay with me,

Ruka

About Post Author

Ruka

My name is Ruka. Born and bred in Nigeria. Now living in Ireland. I am a Woman, Feminist, Wife, Mother, Muslim, Black, and African. I am an Entrepreneur who also works in Finance Administration. I am a Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Warrior. I love writing and hope to make a name for myself doing it.

rukaganiyu5@gmail.com

https://www.rukasplace.com

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