“Fiehluna,” Angelina says. “Your breasts are growing. That’s not good. You are still too young for that. Men will start chasing you. We have to do something about it; we have to stop your breasts from growing, or at least, slowdown the growth.” I look at my breasts and don’t know what to say. I believe that it must be true if Angelina says so. She should know what’s right. I do as she says and take off my dress. Angelina massages my breasts with a pestle made of wood. It hurts so much that I start to cry. Angelina calms me down. She tells me this is the best way to solve the problem. No need to cry. I try to hold back my tears and not to complain. She stops fifteen minutes later. She does this every day for three whole weeks. Then she says that my breasts will now grow slowly. I’m not sure whether that’s true. I still feel pain days later. It’s almost impossible to touch my breasts, the pain is so intense.
This painful process called “breast ironing,”Extract from the book title “Fiehluna`s Journey by Fiehluna Assungwa.
WHAT IS BREAST IRONINGß
Breast ironing is the process whereby young pubescent girls breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down through the use of hard or heated objects in order to slow growth and prevent it from protruding on the girl’s chest.
The United Nations (UN) states that Breast Ironing affects 3.8 million women around the world and has been identified as one of the five under-reported crimes relating to gender-based violence.
Breast ironing is commonly practiced in African countries and Cameroon is not exempted. In the English Speaking regions of the Country that is the Northwest and Southwest regions the practice is common even though people are beginning to understand the dangers of these practices, some die-hearts are still adamantly sticking to their so called traditions. The practice is never a one day thing as it can last for days and even weeks depending on how the breasts are responding to the different massages. The objects used in the process vary from large stones, a hammer or spatulas that have been heated over scorching coals to compress the breast tissue of these girls as young as 9. Most Cameroonians and persons from country where breast ironing is practiced in Africa, migrate with that tradition to other countries and today we now hear of Breast ironing in Britain, US, and other countries one could never imagine the practice could even exist.
WHY THIS PRACTICE?
It will amaze you to know that those who carry out this practice on their children or allow them to go through such do so in love. Their aim is never to harm but rather a way protecting their little girls from “scavengers” or men who may be attracted to these little ones thinking they are already mature. Most African parents, mothers to be precise don’t have the attitude of conversing with their daughters and often times they consider relationship topics as taboos. So must times when they observe something on their daughters that can be a source of exposure to those of the opposite sex, they instead want to get rid of it. That is the reason why they iron their daughter’s breasts so that the breast can stop growing so the girl does not appear like a woman whereas she is still a kid. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage. This practice is usually carried out by women on their little female relatives. Shockingly, some victims at the time of the breast ironing are okay with those conducting the practice on them and that is because the reasons given to these kids to justify their actions are convincing enough to go through such pain.
BREAST IRONING AND THE LAW
Before looking at what the law says, let’s look at those countries practicing such.
Cameroon, Togo, Nigeria, Equitorial Guinee, Benin and worldwide including Europe via emigration. Nothing is being said in the Cameroonian legislation on breast ironing. The country has ratified many international conventions which include the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment but there is the absence of direct language referring to breast ironing in the legislation in Cameroon.
The rights of women and girls are enshrined by various universal and regional instruments including:
All these documents highlight the right for girls and women to live free from gender discrimination, free from torture, to live in dignity and with bodily integrity but do not address the issue of breast ironing.
CONSEQUENCES OF BREAST IRONING
Breast ironing has physical, psychological and emotional effects that may negatively affect the social life, education and career of victims. Although no large scale medical studies have been conducted to gauge the medical effects in Cameroon, anecdotal evidence suggests that breast ironing exposes victims to a plethora of health problems: abscesses, cysts, pains during breast feeding, failure of the breasts to grow bigger, or one breast growing disproportionately than the other, marks, wrinkles and black spots on the breasts, which alongside the trauma may lead to low self-esteem and emotional distress. Activists and the boyfriends of, as well as victims recounted traumatic psycho-sexual and psychological consequences of breast ironing. Some consequences of this practice have literally left physical scars from the hot objects used. These scars provoke another stigma that makes the young girl to lose her self-confidence and self-esteem.
Check out this other video on the consequences of breast ironing on the oung girl.
PERSONAL ACTIONS AGAINST BREAST IRONING
As we saw above that the legislation in most countries where this is practiced does not sanction such, several initiatives have been taken at different levels by individuals and non governmetnal organisations to assist victims of breast ironing by providing them financial or psychological assistance. Case in point is the Moonshine Foundation based in Germany which has been working tirelessly to sensitize mothers on the risks of breast ironing.
See a power point presentation of their fight with regards breast ironing.
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Fiehluna Assungwa
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