Shocking tradition of Cameroon — breast Ironing

"Ironing" of Breasts is a common practice in Cameroon in which the growing Breasts of young girls are deformed using hot items to make developing Breasts more flat. Many Cameroonians believe that the growth of the Breasts of their daughters contributes to puberty and physically Mature girl is attracting more sexual attention from peers and older Teens. Parents are often afraid that their daughters will drop out, if you meet a man and get pregnant.

Basically, this ritual is carried out women of a family — by yourself or with the help of the healers. It all begins at puberty — for some local girls, it comes in 8 years. The consequences of this shocking ritual, as you can guess, terrible cysts, breast cancer and problems with breast-feeding children, not to mention the appearance of psychological problems related to this strange tradition. According to statistics, every 10th girl in Cameroon breast Ironing is carried out.

Recently French photographer Gildas Pair visited Cameroon and filmed victims of this inhuman ritual.

(19 photos)

Source: vice.com

1. "When I was ten, my grandmother noticed that I'm starting to grow Breasts. One evening she made me lie down on a bamboo bed near the fire. She pushed on my chest a hot wooden shovel, trying to iron it. Even now I don't want someone touching my Breasts." Jeanette, 28 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

2. One method is massage of the breast with red-hot instruments. It is believed that if you heat up the object and squeeze it to your chest, this will help melt subcutaneous fat. Crazy idea. For this purpose, the set of available tools — pestles, wooden sticks, shovels (pictured), spoons and stones. Basically, the ritual is carried out the mother or grandmother. (GILDAS PARÉ)

3. "You say, "don't scream, it's for your sake". I haven't plucked up the courage to talk about it with their children. Three days ago my son asked me: "Mom, why do you have such small Breasts?" I said I don't know. I still have a 6-year-old daughter. But I'm not ready to talk about it. I'd like to breastfeed a future President". Carol N., 28. (GILDAS PARÉ)

4. "When my Breasts started to grow, the relatives began to whisper. Neighbors, mom's friends, our elders. Everyone said! I felt ashamed because people were talking about my Breasts. In the end, the mother decided to flatten her. "If you don't do this, it will attract men. And we know that men are the pregnancy, she said. — We need to kill your chest." She used the hot stone — at first the right breast then the left. And since a few weeks. I think she was wishing me well. But the breast is what makes a woman beautiful. My now hanging down." Carol B., 28 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

5. The seeds from berries are used to deform the breast. Their heated, and then rubbed into the Breasts. (GILDAS PARÉ)

6. "I was eight when mom said, "take Off your sweater. You already have the chest? When girls your age get their Boobs, men are starting to pay attention to it". I didn't understand what she was doing. Every day, sometimes three times a day, she ironed my chest with a hot spatula. She just said, "It's for your own good." It was a nightmare. I've noticed that the more she stretched, the more they grew. Realizing that this does not work, she began to use the stone. It was a real hell. My whole body was on fire. I tried to help social workers. I was hoping that they were able to persuade her, but she again took up her, this time with the hot fruit seeds. She rubbed and rubbed them. I Packed my things and moved in with my aunt. Sometimes I try to understand the actions of his mother. It hurts me to look in the mirror." Dorian, 19 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

7. "My Boobs finally started to grow when I was 18. Before, I never was attracted to boys and was very worried because of this. My grandmother began to mock my chest when I was 12. Every morning I tried to run away from her, but she caught me. Other children went to school, and I was kneaded with a hot stone. And twice a day during the year. Have a breast — this is normal, that's human. When I have no chest, I felt like a boy." Agnes, 32 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

8. "The pestle reminds me of the child's pain. A tool for grinding spices people rubbing teenage skin and feminine beauty. His chest started to grow when I was ten, my family decided that Ironing is an option. At 16 I got pregnant again and they frowned. Every time I tried to feed the baby from the breast came out black liquid. It's hard for me to remember it all. I decided to forget everything and to combat violence against women". Katie, 27 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

9. "Every morning before school my mom forced me to raise the shirt to make sure that I didn't take this stupid bandage off my chest. It's been two years and she still checks it every morning. It's humiliating. I want her to stop. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer or play the piano. I hope this patch will help me to continue learning." Cindy, 14 years old. (GILDAS PARÉ)

10. Elastic bandage to flatten the chest. (GILDAS PARÉ)

11. Ants are nomads used to stimulate the production of breast milk. (GILDAS PARÉ)

12. "It was my mother, so I came when she called. Even if I ran, she caught me. It grabbed me when I went to sleep or bathed, and began to RUB his chest. She always found a way. I could cry how much you want — it still wouldn't stop. It's like she has a knife in my chest. Now it is no more. I'll never understand what she was thinking — that helps me or that he's punishing me. My cousin raped me when I was 13, and in the end I had the baby. I had milk, but it was not. We have tried to use ants nomads. When they bite you, the chest swells, and it should stimulate the production of breast milk. I have three children, and despite the ants, I was unable to breastfeed any of them." Emmanuel, 23. (GILDAS PARÉ)

13. "Night, mom made me wear a very tight bandage on the chest. The day she was massaging it with a spatula, a pestle, a stick or a stone. It was very painful. I asked mother to stop and she finally agreed. But then my Breasts began to grow even faster. Much. I was ashamed. I wanted to hide it. People on the streets screaming hurtful words about my chest. To 20 years the bust has started to SAG like a 50 year old. I don't want to undress in front of other people. Sometimes I wear a shirt when having sex with her boyfriend. I hate my mother". Gehl, 26 years old. (GILDAS PARÉ)

14. Homemade elastic bandage for the chest. (GILDAS PARÉ)

15. "Sometimes it's hard for me to breathe because of this tight bandage. It scares me. I wear it for a year. She is very hot, and under it I started to have prickly heat. I don't understand why my mom does it." Manuela, 9 years old. (GILDAS PARÉ)

16. The pistil. (GILDAS PARÉ)

17. "Mom said that my Breasts will attract men, and brought me to the doctor. He grabbed a knife, made incisions on the Breasts and began to suck internal fluid through a tube. He said that if you don't do this, people will think I'm a prostitute. I fainted from the pain. All of these wounds heal very long. The chest is a gift of God." Lizette, 34 years. (GILDAS PARÉ)

18. Stone for repulsion. (GILDAS PARÉ)

19. Healer, which, among other things, is engaged in utjuzhkoj chest. (GILDAS PARÉ)