BREAST IRONING

Breast ironing is a practice common in West African countries such as Cameroon and Nigeria. It is reported to have been carried out on a quarter of the women and girls in Cameroon. Gender-based advocate Benjamin Ocheche and the Girdle Advocacy Projects have also highlighted the widespread nature of this issue, with estimates suggesting that over 2 million girls in Nigeria were subjected to breast ironing between 2020 and 2024.

Breast ironing is not limited to West Africa; it affects millions of girls worldwide, with estimates suggesting nearly 3.8 million victims globally.[1]

WHAT IS BREAST IRONING?

Breast ironing or flattening is the process of pounding and massaging the developing breasts of young girls between 8 and 12 years of age with hot objects to try to make them disappear, mostly by female relatives. It is often done without consent and very early in the morning, mostly with no aftercare whatsoever.

When asked if pain relief drugs were offered to her after the flattening process, “Nope, no drugs,” Jenna replied.

“It happened every morning by 4 am for 2 weeks,” says Zoe, "There was no drug offered while she did that”.

HOW IT’S DONE

“I got my first bra in my first year of junior secondary school, and I cannot forget how pretty I thought it was then. I imagine that if prom day celebrations had been a thing in Nigerian secondary schools back in the day, I would have felt the same awe for a prom dress as I did for my first bra.

While I was enjoying this small celebration of self, my friend, or classmate; they were mostly the same anyway, was suffering from something called breast ironing at the hands of her mother.

One day, my mum returned from the market and, as she usually did, launched into a gist. It was often the same stories, shuffled according to the different areas she had visited in the market or the community at large. But this time, it was different. There was no excitement in her voice—only gloom—as she recounted her meeting with Chinenye’s mum, who had stopped by the big utensils shop where my mum was, to purchase a pestle and a broom. She intended to use them to send Chinenye’s “fast-developing” breasts back to the Creator,” says Love Ossai.

“It was unexpected. On one of my mom’s trips to see me at my aunt’s, they sneakily called me to the kitchen, and my aunt showed my mom that my breasts were growing already. Surprised, my mum proceeded to use a turning stick (the one used to make Eba/amala) to press my breasts down over and over. It was super painful and awkward for me, so I ran out,” says Jenna, “I felt uncomfortable with everyone, but I got over it; they were nice about it, so I just let it go and believed they were doing it for my own good”.

REASONS FOR BREAST IRONING

The African Health Organization says communities that practice breast ironing believe it will make girls less attractive to men, thus protecting them from harassment, rape, abduction, and early forced marriage, and also keeping them in school.[2]

“Women have really suffered. Genital mutilation and breast ironing on one person, all because she’s a girl, but to castrate a rapist is difficult,” X user @Amarachukwuuu laments.

Another X user(@Beeswax) stated that; “What I'm gathering is that it(Breast Ironing) was done by the older generations to stop pedophiles from looking at young girls once puberty started. Strangely, they were looking out for their daughters.”

Earning this response, “This is what they’ve conditioned some of us to believe. When, in reality, it’s abuse. Inflicting pain on children to conceal their healthy growing bodies from pedophiles can never be a method of protection. Female Genital Mutilation follows the same form.” from X user(@Steph0B).

These gender based abusive practices further project the idea that women and girls adjusting to and shrinking themselves from their predators' gaze could one day force these predators to halt their cruelty. These beliefs teach girls that they have no autonomy in this world and that their maturity is an automatic catcall to predatory boys and men alike.

A tone deaf reaction to the reality on ground, the fact that even infants in their cradles, underage girls[3], and the corpses of dead women get sexually assaulted[4].

One other reason for Breast ironing is to help girls prevent back pain, said to be caused by growing big breasts from a young age. However, there are other ways to combat this.

LAWS AGAINST BREAST IRONING

Breast ironing is said to have originally begun in Cameroon, but, the year of its origination was not recorded, so the laws against such acts in Cameroon are recent, according to one Cameroonian lawyer, if a medical doctor determines that damage has been caused to the breasts, the perpetrator can be punished by up to three years in prison, provided the matter is reported within a few months. However, it is unclear if such a law exists, as there are no recorded instances of legal enforcement.

In Nigeria, the laws against breast ironing, under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015, prohibit any form of female genital mutilation, including breast ironing. The law provides fines and imprisonment for those who attempt or encourage it. However, enforcement is a significant challenge due to the practice being deeply rooted in cultural beliefs, often seen as tradition rather than a crime.

The GIZ survey found that in 2006, 39 percent of Cameroonian women opposed breast ironing, with 41 percent expressing support and 26 percent indifferent. Reuters reported in 2014 that nationwide campaigning against the practice had helped reduce the rate of breast ironing by 50 percent in the country.

TOOLS USED FOR BREAST IRONING.

Insights from Real-Life Experiences:

In response to a tweet by writer and feminist Shekinah Peter, seeking accounts from survivors of breast ironing, over 200 comments were received, sharing personal experiences and insights on the topic. This observational research, supplemented by extensive interviews, has compiled a list of tools reportedly used for breast ironing.

Tools Used for Breast Ironing:

1. LOCAL BROOM: 

“It was at the age of 10, and my mom was worried my breasts would become too big. She would wake me up by 4 am, then use the head of the broom to hit my breast, then she progressed to using the turning stick. I fought against it because the pain was unbearable,” says an Anonymous user. 

2. STONE:

“She used a grinding stone hand (the smaller stone) to massage my chest. It was so painful. I remember her saying something like it was because I was misbehaving with boys,” says an anonymous user.

3. SALT & TOWEL: 

“It happened to my friend in primary school in Jos. They rubbed salt on the breast and tied it very tight with a small towel so it would stop coming out,” X user(@/Eregechi12) states.

4. TURNING STICK(WOODEN SPATULA):

“I'm a victim of it. I hated it so much. They used the stick that is used to turn garri on my breast, it was so painful.”X user(@daniiBardi11) states.

Bonus Tool:

5. PESTLE: As shown in the above image.

THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF BREAST IRONING.

Insights from Survivors:

According to accounts from women who underwent breast ironing, the practice's effectiveness is questionable. Three in five women reported no impact on their breast growth, while two in five experienced stunted growth lasting 1-5 years after 1-3 weeks of exposure. It's essential to note that individual factors like genetics, hormones, diet, and overall health may have influenced these outcomes.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

When asked how she felt physically and psychologically during and after breast ironing, “It was painful. And for a long time, I hated being a woman. I also saw reason in what she did, because that was around the time older men began ogling me. When I was around 14, I wanted to cut my breasts off because people I regarded as older brothers would look at my chest while talking to me. It was traumatising, to say the least,” was the response of an anonymous Interviewee.

Showing that victims of breast ironing end up internalizing the predatory acts of men in society.

On the other hand, stunted growth, being a long-term condition, can affect victims' self-confidence and might open them up to bullying. 

“Physically, my breastS are small. After breast ironing at 8, I only started regrowing breasts when I was 12/13. All my mates were already wearing a bra or bralette, but I was still flat-chested.” X user(@papi_slilgurl) goes on saying, “Psychologically, it affected my self esteem, I was bullied in secondary school and university, hell I’m still being bullied now but I’ve come to accept my small tits even though sometimes I hate that I don’t have breast because my hormones were messed with.” in response to the question of how she felt physically and psychologically during and after breast ironing.

This paper was researched, written & edited by Shekinah Peter | Writer & Feminist.