The Social Context of Breast Ironing in Cameroon

The aim of this ethnographic study is to explore the confluence of social factors and the social context underpinning the pervasive practice of breast ironing in Cameroon. An analysis of qualitative data revealed that the social phenomenon of breast ironing is a disciplinary technique meant to conserve the social body politic and to ensure the wellbeing of the girl child. In the wake of the moral paranoia caused by the exponential increase in the infection rate of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, high rates of under-aged pregnancy and school drop-outs, the traditional mechanism of breast massage has been reinterpreted as a governmental rationale. The study recommends women?s empowerment through the provision of health enhancement interventions, holistic needs-based approach to women?s human rights including unfettered right to education, the provision of a youth friendly contraceptive service, as well as the integration of comprehensive sex education at various levels of the secondary school curriculum.