Breast Ironing in young girls

POGS I have never heard of this before now.
It sounds horrific.

POGS
Like you I've been aware of this for years. Both practices are abhorant.
What a coincidence that you have brought this up now as only a couple of days ago I was giving serious consideration to the £1,000s that I have given to combat these heinous crimes but it's not getting any better, it's getting worse ???.

grannysue

It certainly is horrific and I have been bemused when I have mentioned this how few even GN posters respond .

I can't bear thinking of what some cultures do their children and I fear it is a case of political correctness that stops this barbarism of FGM and Breast Screening from being openly discussed and certainly made illegal with proper prosecutions to say ' NOT IN THE UK'.

I'm heartily sick of this PC country when the likes of mutilation and general barbaric practices are committed.

Who's scared of who here ??

petra

I remember you were a poster who indeed felt very very strongly about the matter .

www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1225035-Female-Genital-Mutilation-now-Breast-Ironing-young-girls

POGS & *EllanVannin
This is why it's got to these numbers in our country.
We can't say anything, we are accused of racism
What else is out there?
Go back some years and who knew about FGM and then this came into our knowledge.
Sometimes I wish that I was a complete moron who didn't read or hear about this horror as I feel so helpless
It's obvious that money isn't working as it's getting worse, and why is it getting worse: because more and more people who think this is ok are coming into our country.
Bring on the racist slurs, I don't care, it's the truth.

POGS
I couldn't have made it any plainer than I did then.
And here we are in 2019 and it's worse.
I would say to anyone who is going to call me a racist:
Why have I spent £1,000s writing to all and sundry when I'm trying to help and defend black girls.

Goodness!! I have never heard of this POGS. How dreadful. What is this country coming to that allows this to continue.

petra

And it still appears there is a disinterest and I cannot for the life of me fathom out why.

I also have never heard of this but have been very well aware of FGM for many years.

I think you are being goady POGS . I first learned about FGM in the 1960s when it was called female circumcision. I heard about breast ironing in the last few years. Both practices make me sick to my stomach as I’m sure they do all of us. On the FGM thread some of us have discussed how stopping it is fraught with difficulties. And it’s the same for BI . I wish I had some answers but I don’t - we can all post how awful these practices are but where does that get us? I think maybe donations to relevant charities is the way forward?

It’s not just about stopping these heinous practices in the U.K. they should be stopped everywhere. I saw a programme about a campaigner against FGM and she reported a sharp decline in this practice in her home country - I think it was Somalia- due to openness and campaigning and enforcing the law. This mean it’s less likely people living in other countries will take children back to these countries to be mutilated.

Maryeliza

" I think you are being goady POGS "

Oh dear.

Sorry but I will take whatever comes my way Maryeliza of a personal nature as the subject , at least to me, is worth getting comments such as yours.

I knew about both these practises after I'd lived in West Africa for some years. It's absolutely abhorrent and of course fuelled by misogyny. Witchcraft, too, is widespread, with terrible consequences.

Education is surely the key but first of all, you need to engage people before you can educate them and when people live in their own little enclaves, I don't know how you can reach them.

And no one is calling you a racist POGS

Maryeliza

What the hell are talking about!

Are you trying to derail the thread or is it personal?

Now that there has AT LAST been a criminal case of FGM isn't not time to stop BREAST IRONING in the UK and action taken in the Courts?

POGS It is astonishing that this is the first case which has been taken to court in the UK resulting in a conviction.

There have been just three other trials involving FGM - two in London and one in Bristol - which all ended in acquittals while some 298 prevention orders have been put in place to safeguard children at risk.

As for so-called 'breast ironing' - this is nothing less than sexual assault and actual bodily harm.
The problem is that girls who are subjected to these horrific practices will, in all probability, not speak out - who would they tell if they are young ? How will they know that this is wrong and not normal practice?

There needs to be much more awareness and a campaign to promote this with much more rigorous awareness by police, social workers, health workers who are not afraid to speak out for fear of being considered racist as has happened in other case of child abuse..

Jal there is a great deal of campaigning work going on and much awareness raising amongst the relevant professionals - as the polic officer said the other day it is extraordinarily difficult. There are a range of tactics been employed and to suggest otherwise is pandering to the usual GN pc gorn mad brigade. As someone said on the FGM thread, there are strategies that could be used eg physical examination of breasts and genitals on a regular basis of girls over a certain age - should we do that? How would the girls be targeted? Certain cultural groups? Changing attitudes is really tough and requires work within the relevant communities but there’s no quick fix and it’s absolutely unfair to imply that nothing is happening

Barbarians!!!
a human who is perceived to be either uncivilised or primitive
No apologies for the words I've used. This is exactly what they are and they walk amongst us

www.hampshiresafeguardingchildrenboard.org.uk/professionals/fgm-breast-ironing-honour-based-violence/#

Here’s one example from Hampshire

www.kscb.org.uk/guidance/physical-and-mental-health/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-breast-ironing

And another from Kent

There needs to be more public awareness and places like GN are good places to air discussions to bring these practices to wider attention, along with media advertisements which have been aired.

Are we so scared of being branded racist that we would rather not protect these children. These mothers must be f*****g nuts - sorry, but it is quite beyond the pale.

One of my friends is from West Africa and a social worker. She and her colleagues work very very hard to try and provide care on an ever diminishing budget.

I think the these vile practises need to be attended to ASAP by the best possible professionals, who are valued and given the chance to do their job.