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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 20008
Sponsored 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.

deadline: 6-5-2009
goal: 2,000

1,074
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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.

We signed the “Protect Young Women and Girls from Breast Ironing in Cameroon” petition!

# 1,076:

4:27 am PDT, Jun 5, Name not displayed, Finland

# 1,075:

1:19 am PDT, Jun 5, James Marino, Australia
Wise up people !! Somebody sort out these ignorant villagers. Education is everything. If they don't know it's bad - how can they be expected to change without education.

# 1,074:

4:29 am PDT, Jun 4, Anton Koifman, Israel

# 1,073:

3:17 pm PDT, Jun 3, Beckie Alexander, New Zealand

# 1,072:

12:54 am PDT, Jun 3, DAD VEALE, New Zealand

# 1,071:

12:39 am PDT, Jun 3, Tania Conner, New Zealand

# 1,070:

9:09 am PDT, Jun 2, Nabela Ameena, Canada

# 1,069:

11:26 am PDT, Jun 1, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 1,068:

6:53 am PDT, May 31, Kathy Kahn, Wisconsin

# 1,067:

11:38 am PDT, May 27, Name not displayed, New Hampshire

# 1,066:

6:00 pm PDT, May 25, Elisabeth Kelly, Maryland

# 1,065:

10:04 am PDT, May 24, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 1,064:

1:27 pm PDT, May 20, Christopher Coco, California

# 1,063:

3:05 pm PDT, May 19, Matthew Aarsvold, California

# 1,062:

7:11 am PDT, May 19, Name not displayed, Norway

# 1,061:

6:14 am PDT, May 18, Name not displayed, New Jersey

# 1,060:

3:33 pm PDT, May 8, Serena Fox, United Kingdom

# 1,059:

2:23 pm PDT, May 8, Charlotte Gillis, Florida

# 1,058:

9:43 am PDT, May 5, SIerra Raposo, Canada

# 1,057:

7:23 am PDT, May 4, Megan Futrell, North Carolina

# 1,056:

10:48 pm PDT, May 3, Danielle Markowski, New York

# 1,055:

4:33 am PDT, May 3, Name not displayed, Serbia And Montenegro

# 1,054:

4:51 pm PDT, May 2, Freya Hall, Florida

# 1,053:

10:44 am PDT, May 2, Doha Elleithy, Qatar

# 1,052:

6:31 pm PDT, May 1, Wicked Prince, Illinois

# 1,051:

4:51 pm PDT, May 1, Name not displayed, California

# 1,050:

2:01 pm PDT, May 1, Jami Pankiewicz, Oklahoma

# 1,049:

2:23 pm PDT, Apr 30, Harrison P Bertram, Illinois

# 1,048:

3:12 am PDT, Apr 28, Abba kyari Bulama, Nigeria
very berbaric practice

# 1,047:

11:16 am PDT, Apr 27, Name not displayed, California
i didn't even know about breast ironing till i saw this petition, thats just sick, this REALLY has to stop now!

# 1,046:

11:15 am PDT, Apr 27, Paola Castillo, Mexico

# 1,045:

10:46 am PDT, Apr 27, Jackie Charbonneau, Canada

# 1,044:

3:40 pm PDT, Apr 24, Piper Murray, Florida

# 1,043:

9:07 am PDT, Apr 23, James Macdonald, Canada
Oh My God. what the hell are they thinking! this terriable it must hurt and must kill inside for them. STOP! STOP! STOP! Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew

# 1,042:

6:59 am PDT, Apr 23, Name not displayed, California

# 1,041:

5:28 pm PDT, Apr 22, Marvin Tisdale, South Carolina

# 1,040:

9:27 pm PDT, Apr 21, Shyam Thapa, India

# 1,039:

2:10 pm PDT, Apr 21, Charley Hooper, Canada

# 1,038:

3:24 am PDT, Apr 21, Jennifer Hall, Tennessee

# 1,037:

5:30 pm PDT, Apr 19, Safiya Baker, Texas
This is so wrong.

# 1,036:

8:41 pm PDT, Apr 18, Jamie Lee, California

# 1,035:

11:00 am PDT, Apr 18, Karen Christiaans, Philippines

# 1,034:

10:04 am PDT, Apr 18, Evan Juers, Delaware

# 1,033:

4:55 pm PDT, Apr 17, Damaris Co, Mexico

# 1,032:

12:45 pm PDT, Apr 16, Amairani Galvan, Illinois

# 1,031:

2:34 pm PDT, Apr 15, Ivona Parkaceva, Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of

# 1,030:

5:36 pm PDT, Apr 12, Stacy Cox, Iowa

# 1,029:

2:29 pm PDT, Apr 9, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
a better way to protect girls from sex abuse would be to teach men to respect women.

# 1,028:

3:08 pm PDT, Apr 7, Rachel Morrison, Missouri

# 1,027:

7:48 pm PDT, Apr 6, Constant Wanham, Massachusetts

# 1,026:

11:19 pm PDT, Apr 2, Amanda Thompson, Pennsylvania

# 1,025:

10:49 pm PDT, Apr 2, Justine Lloyd, Wisconsin
RAPE IS NOT ABOUT SEX- IT IS ABOUT POWER! Many rapists actually admit this, they say they like to have power over someone else and they enjoying doing bad things when they have this power. They will take this need for power out on anyone, no matter what their age, what they look like, or how big their breasts are. Often rapists have been victims of abuse (sexual or nonsexual) themselves. The victims of rape have no control over the rapist, his thoughts, or what has happened in his past. These are things that no amount of breast ironing can fix. Breast ironing and FGM do not, and will not, stop sexual assault. The practice of breast ironing sends the message that if a female has big breasts, she deserves to be raped because she appears sexy, and therefore, must have been "asking for it". Breast ironing is just another way that people try to place blame on the victimized woman while letting the criminal go free. Saying this will help avoid sexual abuse is insulting to males, too. It implies that they are sex- crazed fiends who cannot control their urges, especially around breasts.

# 1,024:

7:37 pm PDT, Apr 2, Heather N., Texas

# 1,023:

5:20 pm PDT, Mar 30, Rebecca Stabile, Rhode Island

# 1,022:

11:38 pm PDT, Mar 27, Sonia Bazso, California

# 1,021:

5:52 pm PDT, Mar 27, Rayner Ward, Australia

# 1,020:

11:20 am PDT, Mar 26, Annie Del Castillo, Mexico

# 1,019:

1:33 pm PDT, Mar 19, Leah Lefler, Virginia

# 1,018:

2:03 pm PDT, Mar 17, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania

# 1,017:

6:47 am PDT, Mar 17, Myrsini Spegis, Greece

# 1,016:

4:37 am PDT, Mar 17, Angelica Blevins, Kansas
This is disgusting and a crime against humanity!

# 1,015:

1:31 am PDT, Mar 17, Rebeca Reachi Lugo, Mexico

# 1,014:

6:33 am PDT, Mar 16, Daniela Lazaroiu, Romania

# 1,013:

10:01 am PDT, Mar 15, Soldier For Peace, Illinois

# 1,012:

1:40 am PDT, Mar 14, Anushka Wadhwaney, India

# 1,011:

12:21 pm PDT, Mar 13, Jennfer Zoufaly, New York

# 1,010:

10:29 am PDT, Mar 12, Lera Yakovleva, Russian Federation

# 1,009:

6:15 pm PDT, Mar 11, Carl Sawaya, Lebanon
Things get worse and worse... By day I see Women should not be treated like that...

# 1,008:

3:54 pm PDT, Mar 9, Sarah Baker, Illinois

# 1,007:

3:30 pm PDT, Mar 8, Cassandra Langevin, Florida

# 1,006:

6:59 pm PST, Mar 7, Natalie Janecek, New Jersey

# 1,005:

3:39 pm PST, Mar 4, Michael Mitsuda, California

# 1,004:

1:18 pm PST, Mar 4, Aaeron Robb, Maryland

# 1,003:

1:45 pm PST, Feb 24, Tegan Welsch, Wisconsin

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Protect Young Women and Girls from Breast Ironing in Cameroon

This petition has been closed.