Maggie says:
In the worst example I've seen in some time of societies placing the burden of sexual violence on women rather than dealing with the fundamental, male causes of the crime, we look to Cameroon:
CNN: 'Breast ironing' to stunt girls' growth
According to the article, 1 in 4 Cameroon girls have their breasts 'ironed' with a hot stone in their adolescence is order to stunt their growth and lessen their attractiveness to men. I can't get past how many girls that is; I had no idea.
"I did it to my two girls when they were eight years old. I would take the grinding stone, heat it in the fire and press it hard on the breasts," Moungang [a mother in Cameroon] said."They cried and said it was painful. But I explained that it was for their own good."
Here's where my blood starts boiling. Wouldn't it be for the good of everyone to teach men that rape is wrong? How about educating women that rape isn't their fault, that simply being who they are is not asking for harrassment and harm? How about a new generation of mothers who don't want what happened to them to happen to their own daughters? How about a national campaign that disfigurement is not okay? What about punishing the men who rape women instead of pre-empting their "boys will be boys" crimes by making girls "less attractive" to them?
My head spins with all the wrongness going on... here, there, everywhere.
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