Breast ironing: grim secret of Africa's women
 

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bre...779013634.html

WORRIED that her daughters' budding breasts would expose them to the risk of sexual harassment and even rape, Philomene Moungang started "ironing" the girls' bosoms with a heated stone.

"If society has been silent about it up to now it is because, like other harmful practices done to women such as female genital mutilation, it was thought to be good for the girl," Dr Ndonko said. "Even the victims themselves thought it was good for them."

The practice has many side-effects, including severe pain and abscesses, infections, breast cancer, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.

The survey of 5000 girls and women aged between 10 and 82 from Cameroon, published last month, estimated that 4 million women had suffered the process.


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be thankful of the country that you live in and that these horrible practices and fear being a way of life isn't the norm.

Thats fucked up. Sadly most of that country is still living in the stone age and will continue to do so for many years to come. :Oh crap

That's true horror...

Sheesh, that is awful.

You're right, it's terrible. Most regions have been out of the most brutal kind of colonization for less than 40 years. Since then it's been warlords fighting for power. The money that is made from the resources goes right into the pockets if the warlords and to multinational corporations. It's the worst crisis in the world by far and it really sucks because no one has much of an idea as to what we could/should do about it.

It has nothing to do with the people of Africa being less capable than other people, and sadly the idea that it does has become prevalent in the west over the past 15 years. No one who has spent any real time there thinks like that. Africa has an insane amount of potential. If they could form some sort of stable government in each country and form a real African union, they would be able to thrive in a generation. They could go socialist and nationalize the resources or they could go capitalist and form corporations to get in the profits. They'd be a superpower in 100 years. Right now there is effectively no government for the people in most African countries.

No amount of aid will solve this problem. Fuck Bono. Being dependent on aid is what fucks with their heads. It's what makes them go out and drink a ton and rape women every night. They have nothing to do besides fight wars and either starve to death or be one of the lucky ones who gets aid. Africa was not like this 100 years ago. It doesn't help that their education level is so poor in some regions, that they actually take the Catholic Church seriously. In the US, even people who try to force others to live by the bible don't actually do it themselves. We all know that the religious conservatives here are closet gays/child molesters/whatever. But in Africa people are afraid of condoms because the church tells them that they will go to hell. That's genocide if you ask me, in the most aids infected region in the world. These people need real democratic control over their own governments, control over the wealth that they produce, and an end to wars. They need to use that wealth to build factories and schools and hospitals. Every human being needs and education, and a sexual education, as well as access to condoms and aids medicine. Until they can achieve that somehow, with or without or help, our kids kids kids are going to be reading fucked up stories like this about Africa. (assuming we don't destroy the world be then)

Hopefully Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can be the spark the triggers something great.

Ouch:Oh crap

Interesting overview.

not sure whether this is something that has always been there and we are only hearing about it now or if it is a result of religion interference and the outside world - remember that they interviewed women who were over 80 that were involved in the practice so this may be something happening 100 years ago

Nothing much in Africa surprises me anymore. Every day there's some awful story that comes outta that place. It just seems like one big cesspool. :(

Sounds like a new niche !!!!

lava girls.com

Tradition, superstition, religion ... common sense doesn't stand a chance.

I've never heard about this one ... I heard about excision (wich is by far the worst thing you can do to a woman).

that would be female CIRCUMcision

That country seems to be totally fucked up.