Is breast ironing still practiced?

Is breast ironing still practiced?

While studies have found that “breast ironing” is practiced in Chad, Guinea Bissau, Togo, and Benin, it is most common in Cameroon, where nearly a quarter of girls and women have had their breasts “ironed.” Cases have also been reported in the UK and as many as 1,000 girls from West African immigrant communities in the …

Is breast ironing illegal?

Now CPS legal guidance makes clear to police and prosecutors that breast-ironing is a crime that can be caught under existing law, even if it is said that the victim has consented. The offences to be considered by prosecutors include child cruelty and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious harm.

When did breast ironing start?

2006
Breast ironing was first publicly written about in 2006 [16]. and as a result research was conducted by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with Reseau National des Associations des Tantines (RENATA) in all the ten regions in Cameroon.

Is breast ironing illegal in the UK?

There is no specific law banning breast ironing in the UK and no-one has ever been prosecuted for carrying out the practice. However, offenders can be prosecuted for a range of crimes, including common assault, child cruelty and grievous bodily harm, the equalities minister, Susan Williams, said last month.

Where is breast ironing most common?

Breast ironing is common in West and Central Africa, including Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Conakry, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Zimbabwe. It’s particularly prevalent in Cameroon: there, the number of girls who have been subjected to breast ironing is estimated be as high as one in three (around 1.3 million).

What is breast ironing in the UK?

Breast ironing is one of five UN defined ‘forgotten crimes against women’. It is a practice whereby the breasts of girls typically aged 8-16 are pounded using tools such as spatulas, grinding stones, hot stones, and hammers to delay the appearance of puberty.

Why is breast ironing carried out?

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.

What is the point of breast ironing?

IMPORTANT FACTORS BEHIND BREAST IRONING Specifically, it is performed as a way to help disguise the onset of puberty in girls, which it is believed will help to deter male attention and protect them from sexual harassment, assault, exploitation, and rape or sexually transmitted diseases.

What is breast ironing abuse?

How common is breast ironing?

It’s particularly prevalent in Cameroon: there, the number of girls who have been subjected to breast ironing is estimated be as high as one in three (around 1.3 million). According to the United Nations, 3.8 million teenagers worldwide have been affected by breast flattening.

What is breast ironing signs?

Some signs that a girl is at risk from breast ironing include:

• Unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college including depression, anxiety, aggression, becoming withdrawn.
• Reluctance in undergoing medical examinations.

Is it illegal to iron your breasts in the UK?

There is no specific law banning breast ironing in the UK and no-one has ever been prosecuted for carrying out the practice. However, offenders can be prosecuted for a range of crimes, including common assault, child cruelty and grievous bodily harm, the equalities minister, Susan Williams, said last month.

Where is breast ironing most common in Africa?

Breast ironing is particularly widespread in the West African nations of Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Togo and Benin. “In Cameroon, up to 50 per cent of girls as young as ten years old undergo terribly painful breast ironing on a daily basis,” the organisation says.

Is breast ironing bad for your health?

Whilst there is limited information available about the long-term effects of breast ironing, experts warn that it could lead to the development of cysts, skin and breast cancer. Does it happen in the UK?

Is breast flattening or breast ironing a form of abuse?

Although there is no specific law within the UK around breast flattening or breast ironing, it is a form of physical abuse and if professionals are concerned a child may be at risk of, or suffering significant harm, they must refer to their local safeguarding procedures.