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Protect Young Women and Girls from Breast Ironing in Cameroon
Target: Mr. Amadou Ali, Minister of Justice, 1000 Yaounde, Cameroon; Mr. Jerome Mendouga, Ambassador, 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008Sponsored by: Care2
Breast ironing, the traditional practice of massaging or pressing the breasts of adolescent girls in order to suppress the growth of the breasts, is shockingly widespread in Cameroon where one in four teenagers are subjected to the traumatic process by relatives.
Girls as young as eight years old are 'ironed' by their own mothers using a heated stone, with the belief that breast ironing will help these girls and young women avoid sexual harassment and rape. Even the victims themselves think it is good for them.
This form of mutilation has many side-effects, including severe pain and abscesses, infections, breast cancer, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.
Sign now to speak out for the rights of women and girls in Cameroon. Urge the Government of Cameroon to carry out immediate efforts to educate mothers and girls about the dangers of "breast ironing" and to take urgent steps to eradicate it.
Girls as young as eight years old are 'ironed' by their own mothers using a heated stone, with the belief that breast ironing will help these girls and young women avoid sexual harassment and rape. Even the victims themselves think it is good for them.
This form of mutilation has many side-effects, including severe pain and abscesses, infections, breast cancer, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.
Sign now to speak out for the rights of women and girls in Cameroon. Urge the Government of Cameroon to carry out immediate efforts to educate mothers and girls about the dangers of "breast ironing" and to take urgent steps to eradicate it.
Sign Petition see who signed this
We signed the “Protect Young Women and Girls from Breast Ironing in Cameroon” petition!
# 800:
12:57 pm PDT, Aug 6,
Name not displayed, Florida
# 799:
9:05 am PDT, Aug 6,
Joanne Carnell, United Kingdom
# 798:
7:33 am PDT, Aug 6,
Ana Platon, Romania
# 797:
3:01 am PDT, Aug 6,
ANGELA BOND, United Kingdom
# 796:
8:55 am PDT, Aug 5,
Leia Peison, Ohio
# 795:
12:29 am PDT, Aug 5,
Mateja Zerjal, Slovenia
# 794:
11:35 pm PDT, Aug 4,
Timea Melinda Kovacs, Romania
# 793:
9:14 am PDT, Aug 4,
Name not displayed, Pakistan
no coments
no coments
# 792:
10:25 pm PDT, Aug 3,
Joanne D. Ferguson, Ohio
# 791:
6:18 pm PDT, Aug 3,
Bridgette A., Canada
# 790:
2:28 pm PDT, Aug 3,
Michelle Ard, New York
# 789:
1:54 pm PDT, Aug 3,
Emma Seaman, United Kingdom
Sounds painful.
Sounds painful.
# 788:
11:47 am PDT, Aug 3,
Name not displayed, Ohio
# 787:
8:17 am PDT, Aug 3,
Annelies Ooms, Belgium
# 786:
5:57 am PDT, Aug 3,
Suzanna Van der Voort, Netherlands
"Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world's ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the total of all those acts will be written the history of a generation." --Robert F Kennedy --
"Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world's ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the total of all those acts will be written the history of a generation." --Robert F Kennedy --
# 785:
5:07 am PDT, Aug 3,
Stephanie Lessard, New Hampshire
# 784:
3:48 am PDT, Aug 3,
Kathy G, United Kingdom
# 783:
2:53 am PDT, Aug 3,
RALPH Wi, Germany
# 782:
2:51 am PDT, Aug 3,
Laura Tatti, Italy
# 781:
1:17 am PDT, Aug 3,
Lynda Harding, United Kingdom
# 780:
1:09 am PDT, Aug 3,
Name not displayed, Georgia
# 779:
11:34 pm PDT, Aug 2,
Henk Ahrue van Grootveld, Netherlands
# 778:
5:54 pm PDT, Aug 2,
Black Tiger Petersen, Canada
This is absolutely simple minded. Between female circumcision and "breast Ironing" the time has come to deal with the men instead. Teach the boys/men to respect the female and DON'T TOUCH UNTIL MARRIED, THEN BE TRUE TO WIFE ONLY
This is absolutely simple minded. Between female circumcision and "breast Ironing" the time has come to deal with the men instead. Teach the boys/men to respect the female and DON'T TOUCH UNTIL MARRIED, THEN BE TRUE TO WIFE ONLY
# 777:
4:58 pm PDT, Aug 2,
Misty Rennebohm, Canada
This is sick!! Nothing stops a evil man from raping!! Useless Painful Practice!
This is sick!! Nothing stops a evil man from raping!! Useless Painful Practice!
# 776:
10:24 am PDT, Aug 2,
Danny Dale, Arizona
# 775:
2:02 am PDT, Aug 2,
Kirra Charlton-Betts, Australia
# 774:
9:44 pm PDT, Jul 31,
Stephanie Bayster, Pennsylvania
# 773:
6:31 pm PDT, Jul 31,
Helen Forsythe, United Kingdom
# 772:
12:49 pm PDT, Jul 31,
Martha Linzer, Texas
I am a registered nurse in USA and find this breast ironing practice appalling. Surely, mothers of these teens are desperately trying to protect their daughters but the risks outweigh the benefits. It must become unlawful in order to prevent the emotional, physical, and longterm health deficits to these young females. There are other means of protecting girls from imminent molestation and sexual assault. Please keep me posted on any new developments on this gruesome practice.
I am a registered nurse in USA and find this breast ironing practice appalling. Surely, mothers of these teens are desperately trying to protect their daughters but the risks outweigh the benefits. It must become unlawful in order to prevent the emotional, physical, and longterm health deficits to these young females. There are other means of protecting girls from imminent molestation and sexual assault. Please keep me posted on any new developments on this gruesome practice.
# 771:
10:51 am PDT, Jul 31,
Rachel Hodge, North Carolina
# 770:
4:33 am PDT, Jul 31,
Shanda Hall, Mississippi
# 769:
3:58 am PDT, Jul 31,
Franziska Santschi-Geiser, Canada
# 768:
9:50 pm PDT, Jul 30,
Katie Wilson, Massachusetts
the belief that this will help prevent sex and rape is unbelievable. A. that will not prevent the hormons running through a girls body once she gets older. but also that is a tramatic expierces worse than rape itself do to the fact that your family is doing this to you and they are harming your body but expecting everything to be okay afterwards. it is abuse
the belief that this will help prevent sex and rape is unbelievable. A. that will not prevent the hormons running through a girls body once she gets older. but also that is a tramatic expierces worse than rape itself do to the fact that your family is doing this to you and they are harming your body but expecting everything to be okay afterwards. it is abuse
# 767:
12:36 pm PDT, Jul 30,
Linda Bonura, Louisiana
# 766:
9:00 am PDT, Jul 30,
Kimberly Newman, New York
This is appalling! How can they treat young girls like this?
This is appalling! How can they treat young girls like this?
# 765:
8:05 am PDT, Jul 30,
Michelle Coe, Canada
# 764:
5:49 pm PDT, Jul 29,
Jennifer Khatchatrian, Illinois
To the government of Cameroon: I was shocked to find out "breast ironing" is still a common practice in Cameroon. This form of mutilation has many side-effects, including severe pain and abscesses, infections, breast cancer, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts. Like in the case of female genital mutilation, this cruel practice puts the lives of young women and girls at risk, even if the victims themselves think undergoing these procedures is for their own good. Please do everything in your power to protect the physical integrity and human rights of these young girls. I urge you to carry out immediate efforts to educate mothers and girls about the dangers of "breast ironing" and to take urgent steps to eradicate it. Thank you in advance for your attention. Please keep me informed regarding any developments in your efforts to end this awful practice.
To the government of Cameroon: I was shocked to find out "breast ironing" is still a common practice in Cameroon. This form of mutilation has many side-effects, including severe pain and abscesses, infections, breast cancer, and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts. Like in the case of female genital mutilation, this cruel practice puts the lives of young women and girls at risk, even if the victims themselves think undergoing these procedures is for their own good. Please do everything in your power to protect the physical integrity and human rights of these young girls. I urge you to carry out immediate efforts to educate mothers and girls about the dangers of "breast ironing" and to take urgent steps to eradicate it. Thank you in advance for your attention. Please keep me informed regarding any developments in your efforts to end this awful practice.
# 763:
5:19 pm PDT, Jul 29,
Elenice Pimentel, Brazil
# 762:
10:06 am PDT, Jul 29,
Raffael Trimmel, Austria
# 761:
9:05 am PDT, Jul 29,
Name not displayed, New York
# 760:
7:53 am PDT, Jul 29,
Ryan Lovett, Illinois
# 759:
9:10 pm PDT, Jul 28,
Jocelyn Rivas, New Jersey
# 758:
3:12 pm PDT, Jul 28,
Lesley Barton, Illinois
# 757:
10:48 pm PDT, Jul 27,
John Hu, New Jersey
For a country that purports to be a member of the international community in the 21st Century it is simply shameful that the authorities allow such barbaric practices to be perpetrated on young girls. Children are our collective future. Such practices cannot be condoned through the empty excuse of tradition and should be made illegal by the government. We as concerned citizens would feel justified to ask others to boycott and institute sanctions against Cameroon if no action is taken in the future.
For a country that purports to be a member of the international community in the 21st Century it is simply shameful that the authorities allow such barbaric practices to be perpetrated on young girls. Children are our collective future. Such practices cannot be condoned through the empty excuse of tradition and should be made illegal by the government. We as concerned citizens would feel justified to ask others to boycott and institute sanctions against Cameroon if no action is taken in the future.
# 756:
2:08 pm PDT, Jul 27,
Dimitrije Spasic, Serbia And Montenegro
# 755:
9:18 am PDT, Jul 27,
Andi Laurie Alnwick, New York
# 754:
8:15 am PDT, Jul 27,
A. Alnwick, New York
# 753:
8:28 pm PDT, Jul 26,
Robin Wride, Australia
# 752:
1:48 pm PDT, Jul 26,
Name not displayed, Florida
# 751:
1:23 pm PDT, Jul 26,
Andrea Laurie Alnwick, New York