Breast Ironing!

 What is Breast ironing?

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. 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 most widely used implement for breast ironing is a wooden pestle normally used for pounding tubers. Other tools used include leaves, bananas, coconut shells, grinding stones, ladles, spatulas, and hammers heated over coals.

However, Breast ironing is extremely painful and can cause tissue damage. Aside from physical effects, many women suffer mental trauma after undergoing breast ironing. Victims feel as if it is punishment and often internalise blame, and fear breastfeeding in the future. Victims may lose confidence and believe that they should not have breasts.

BREAST-IRONING PRACTICE

The United Nations (UN) has described the practice as one of five global under-reported crimes relating to gender-based violence.

"It's usually done in the UK, not abroad like female genital mutilation (FGM)," she said, describing a practice whereby mothers, aunties or grandmothers use a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to "break the tissue" and slow its growth.

"Sometimes they do it once a week, or once every two weeks, depending on how it comes back," she added.

-Health Consequence Of Breast Ironing

The use of hard objects and their force and lack of aftercare may develop some serious health conditions like:

Itching

Tissues damage

Infection

Abscesses

Discharge of milk

Severe fever

Dissymmetry of breasts

Breast cancer and many more

Socialization Of Young Girls

Breast ironing has been an embedded part of the socialization of young girls from affected communities for quite some time.

The growth of a girl's breasts during puberty is seen as linked to the emergence of her sexuality; if left unchecked, this will bring “problematic” and “destructive” implications for family and community status quo (patriarchy).

Breast ironing is often carried out by the girl’s mother with the belief that she is:

Protecting her daughter from sexual harassment and / or rape

Preventing the risk of early pregnancy by “removing” signs of puberty

Preventing her daughter from being forced into marriage, so she will have the opportunity to continue with her education 

The girl may believe that the practice is being carried out for her own good and she will often remain silent. Young pubescent girls usually aged between 9 – 15 years old and from practising communities are most at risk of breast ironing. 

FIRST CASE OF BREAST IRONING IN INDIA WAS REPORTED IN MYSORE IN 2017(and god knows how many aren't came in front of us)

It is a harmful cultural practice around the world that doesn't get sufficient attention. Directly it's a child abusive practice that ultimately reflects the female submissiveness and the complete control over female sexuality. There are still a million people in this world who don't have a little thought about such harmful regulation. Such practice needs to get the awareness of the people and the government needs to take some action for its prohibitions.

The female puberty is needed to be cherished but not to be held in the vulnerable hands. Ironing the breast is not the solution to prevent sexual harassment and rape against them.

Thousands of girls have been subjected tortured practice which just causes cruelty towards them and this needed to get the stop. A female body is not a shame. The Female body is so beautiful in whichever manner it is formed by the almighty. No one should be given much power which could diminish its shine and beauty. Everybody is beautiful and needed to be protected.

It's horrific tradition. Tons of girl go through mental trauma after undergoing breast ironing. I will never understand why there are truly sick people in this world.

Comment your views and atleast start talking about it.