The horrific tradition of BREAST IRONING in Africa

Image: Daily Mail

All over the world, authorities are becoming increasingly worried about the practice of “breast ironing”.



The West African practice of pounding pubescent and pre-pubescent breasts with hot stones, hammers, and other objects to delay their growth affects an estimated 1000 girls in the United Kingdom. It is typically carried out by the girl's mother who will say she is trying to protect the girl from sexual harassment and rape, to prevent early pregnancy that would tarnish the family name, or to allow the girl to pursue education rather than be forced into early marriage.

 It is mostly practiced in parts of Cameroon, where boys and men may think that girls whose breasts have begun to grow are ready for sex.

The UN estimates that 3.8 million girls are subjected to the practice of breast ironing worldwide.
Jake Berry, a British MP is calling for the practice to acquire the same statutory recognition as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), so that health care professionals can be trained effectively to recognise the practice. While not as prevalent as FGM, the abuse of breast ironing certainly impacts the health of women – wherever it happens in the world.