We the Criminology class from Haringey Sixth Form College in Tottenham have chosen to focus on breast ironing as our campaign for change because it is an under reported crime in Britain and it has been a whole year since Michael Taylor successfully campaigned to criminalize it but there is still no specific law in England and Wales.
Most people are aware of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and this is now a specific offence under the Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act. For this reason we think that breast ironing is an important area to address as awareness needs to be raised and victims are in need of support. Without a campaign like this, as well as the Came Women and Girls Development Organization (Cawogido) and anti-FGM campaigner and psychotherapist Leyla Hussein it is likely that more victims will suffer from breast ironing with little help from agencies as they are too afraid to report it.
Our aim is therefore to campaign for an urgent amendment to the Children Act,1989 to include Breast Ironing in the same way that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has become a specific offence. Our concern is that this painful cultural practice is on going and is secretly destroying the lives of many girls and women in the UK.
Please sign our petition for an immediate change to this important piece of legislation to ensure that the welfare of victims of breast ironing is paramount.
