According to the Nigerian Council of Women Societies (NCWS), 138 cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) were reported in 2022, with a prevalence of 19.2% of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
This is the harsh reality that female teenagers and even girls as young as eight years old face in Nigeria due to inhumane practices carried out on them just because of one thing — their gender.
And one of these practices is breast ironing.
What is breast ironing?
Also known as breast flattening, it involves using a heated object against a girl’s breast to stop or delay its development. The heated material could be a grinding stone, cast iron, coconut shell, hammer or spatula.
The alternative is to wrap the breasts tightly with a belt or cloth until the breasts are entirely flattened or suppressed. The process could take several weeks.
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Why is breast ironing practised?
According to the Africa Health Organisation (AHO), the belief behind breast ironing is that it “saves the female” from rape, harassment and early forced marriage. In other words, make the girl less attractive, and she will not be a victim.
But that has never stopped abusers from attacking women and girls of all ages.
Why breast ironing is counter-productive
It doesn’t stop GBV— rather, GBV numbers rise. The United Nations (UN) data states that breast ironing affects 3.8 million women worldwide. It has been identified as one of the five under-reported crimes relating to GBV.
Official figures from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reveal 31.9% of Nigerian women aged between 15 and 49 years have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) since they were 15.
The World Health Organization (WHO) further revealed that every year, there are an estimated 41,000 homicide deaths in children under 18 years of age. Some of these deaths are likely due to child maltreatment.
This number means that breast ironing, like every other violence against the female gender, can lead to deaths, showing the true extent of the problem.
What are its effects?
Asides from death, the practice tends to bring about health problems such as cancer, tissue damage, abscesses, itching, and breast infections, which could interfere with breastfeeding and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.
This also affects their mental health negatively. According to mental health experts, child abuse influences the brain and results in psychological challenges. Traumatic experiences affect the child’s mental health. Victims face elevated stress levels, psycho-emotional problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and even suicide attempts.”
How can one stop the practice?
The process of breast ironing is dangerous, and despite the Violence Against Persons Act of 2015 being in existence, gender-based violence crimes like these are still on the rise.
If you know anyone who could be a victim (or potential victim) of breast ironing, please contact the National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) at +234 8139750698 or email ncwsnigeria@gmail.com
