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The Harmful Traditional Practice Of Breast Ironing In Cameroon, Africa., Rachel Pearsell

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This article will examine the harmful traditional practice of breast ironing, a common occurrence in Cameroon. Breast ironing affects approximately one in every four adolescent girls in Cameroon and is typically performed by the mother of the child who will heat common household items such as pestles or grinding stones and massage the breast tissue, hoping to flatten the breast or reverse the growth. This practice causes irreversible physical and psychological trauma to young girls and is performed in hopes to deter men from making sexual advances onto young girls. This article also examines legislation around the practice, both locally …