Scare of Womanhood – Breast Ironing
Scare called womanhood – Breast Ironing.
25th September is marked as daughter’s day in India. Yet another year filled with dates and days but nothing different. I wrote a similar post last year too – http://beyondjane.com/women/reason-to-celebrate-daughters-day/
I used to write about dowry, girl education and female infanticide in school. And today, a decade after, I am still writing about the same issues in addition to this new found barbarism. As if the already existing norms and atrocities on women weren’t enough, there’s one more ghastly practice prevalent in some regions- Breast ironing or “Repassage des seins”. This practice is mostly prevalent in Cameroon, where mothers try to hinder the growth of their pubescent daughters’ breasts by ironing or massaging them with hot objects, straight out of fire, like knife, grinding stones, rod, coconut shells etc. This technique to delay sexual development is a tradition in Cameroon which is rarely discussed in public.
This is a case where the motive is the welfare of the girl child but is done by mutilating them
Mothers find nothing wrong in this barbaric act. They see this as a medium for their daughters to look less desirable and an escape from the ordeal of early pregnancy that they had suffered.
The depressing state of women is ashamedly common through all centuries. Women emancipation is nothing but a farce.
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September 23rd, 2011 at 1:26 am
This is sickening…not only barbaric but mentally disturbed people
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:39 am
I never heard this before but I feel it is against the natural law which must follow
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:51 am
Horrible thing to do to a child.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:59 am
awfull
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:05 am
terrible
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:14 am
Dreadful.I didn’t know it’s grim act.
September 23rd, 2011 at 4:57 am
This is bad/cruel/barbaric … I cannot understand how someone can do this to her/his own daughter. Though, cannot blame those mothers solely since if I understood it right, men in those areas cannot control their sexual desires well enough too … But still, it seems like way too drastic of a solution …
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:12 am
unbelievable.
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:15 am
UnbelievableTY for bring this forward.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:47 am
this tradition is now being condemn by the International community.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:21 am
Thanks 4 sharing buddy
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:37 am
Wonders shall never cease to happen.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Breast Ironing? It’s terrible. It can be called domestic violence.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:12 pm
ooooooopppppaaaa
September 25th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
I have never understood why a great portiion of the male of the species holds women in such a low social worth aside from the satisfaction of their animal needs and the building of their legacy. God has created nothing that was unworthy. I, personally, could not picture a world without the beautiful and dignified presence of the female of the species.