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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Politics
Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi

‘It’s evil’: Breast ironing leaves long-term scars for women in Nigeria

A stone and stick used for breast ironing, a traditional practice common in some communities in West Africa [File: Joe Penney/Reuters]

Abuja, Nigeria – When children turn 10, their first double-digit milestone is usually a time of excitement. But not for Elizabeth John, who could only feel dread about what was to come.

A day after her 10th birthday, three older women held her legs down firmly as her mother pressed a burning hot pestle against her still-developing breasts, unyielding even as the child screamed in pain.

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