When writing Body Drama, I faced a dilemma. I wanted to share all of the good, the bad, and the ugly of our bodily functions, and I also wanted to shed more light on how absurdly unfair our culture’s obsession with bodily perfection is. Still, as much body drama as we have to deal with in America, there are parts of the world that have it far worse. I wanted to convey that as well.

On page 89 of Body Drama, I share a bit of information about the young women of Cameroon, many of whom go through the agonizing process of having their chests ironed with hot stones in order to slow down breast growth. In Cameroon, breasts indicate that a girl is ready for marriage, regardless of her actual age or maturity. Once married, she is pulled from school, leaving her uneducated and weak. The longer she can keep her breasts from showing, the longer she can stay in school, and the better chance she will have for a healthy and happy life.

Sadly, some parents aren’t worried about their daughters being married off too early, but they are worried about their daughters becoming sexually promiscuous, so they iron their daughters’ breasts in an attempt to prevent romantic encounters.

Regardless of the reason for the breast ironing, the young women themselves usually have no say about the choice that is made to iron their breasts. The painful and traumatic procedure is performed on them against their will.

Breast ironing isn’t the only way women’s bodies are routinely abused. Other global examples include female genital mutilation, a procedure that involves the mandatory removal of parts of a woman’s genitals for social acceptance. Some cultures “only” remove the clitoris (taking away most of the pleasurable nerve endings down there), while other cultures remove the clitoris and the inner labia (see page 117 in Body Drama for descriptions and photographs of the parts of a woman’s vulva and vagina). Still other cultures remove even more flesh from that area, requiring weeks of recovery and leaving only a pin-sized hole to painfully urinate from. In some cultures, women who do not have this procedure done are often shunned or even killed, so the pressure is on parents to continue this barbaric practice, even though it is illegal in many places. According to Amnesty International, over two million women still endure female genital mutilation every year.

There are many other ways that our bodies are treated poorly in America and around the world (rape, sexual violence, physical abuse, etc.) and I will post about these issues later. However, right now, I wanted to remind everyone that we are super lucky to be able to even have discussions about and ask questions regarding our bodies, and we shouldn’t forget that. Some women are dying (literally) for an opportunity to be able to know, own, and love their natural bodies.

How Can You Help?

At first, attempting to help women who live thousands of miles away from you may seem useless, but there are many ways you can make a great difference in the lives of others no matter where you (or they) are!

1) Educate Yourself. The more you know about the issues that women face in your own country and around the world, the more you can help. A knowledgeable person can spread the word and create awareness about barbaric rituals like breast ironing and female genital mutilation, so read your local paper and check out global online news sources like BBC.com. Every day, you’ll find stories on dozens of issues and causes and concerns for you to form opinions on.

2) Donate. Most of us don’t have a lot of extra money, but every little bit that you can spare helps. If a certain issue or cause speaks to you, try sacrificing something that you frequently purchase until you’ve saved up a sizeable amount. For example, if you buy a soda from the school vending machine at every lunch, try going without one starting tomorrow. By the end of next month, you will have saved $20-$30! That might not sound like a lot, but in other parts of the world that amount of money can do a lot of good. You can also consider having a car wash, bake sale, walk-a-thon, or another fundraiser for your organization of choice. If you haven’t picked an organization yet, here are a few for you to look into, but if none of these fit your interests, keep looking. It’s important to do your own research and to find the organization that you and your personal beliefs best fit.

• V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.
• UNICEF addresses the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries everywhere. Also focuses on gender equality and the education of girls.
• Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights to be respected and protected for everyone. One of its focuses is stopping violence against women.
• Girls Speak Out offers workshops, action projects, trainings, and conferences that build girls’ strengths and power as leaders on five continents and countless countries, including Cameroon.

3) Do Something. It is very powerful to realize what you can accomplish for a cause once you (and perhaps some of your friends) decide to take the issue seriously. For example, the only reason we know about breast ironing is because of a group of dedicated women called The Network of Aunties Association, also known as RENATA. The women of RENATA are survivors of breast ironing who decided to take a stand against this unfair process that left them both emotionally and physically scarred. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” Once you figure out what you are most passionate about, get started ASAP on making a difference!

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