Innovation in Intervention: Our ideas
1. Implement sex education in schools:
One of the major problems is that children are being misinformed of the changes that are happening during puberty, sometimes at mythical degrees. Children need to be taught of puberty before the onset occurs, approximately in fourth or fifth grade. Sex education needs to be taught at the point of when an average amount of kids have reached puberty, approximately sixth and seventh grade. Violations of sexual norms should be discussed at the high school level. Sex education should be taught with contraceptives and embracing the safe practices of using them, but also in conjunction with abstinence. Abstinence can fit in very well with their cultural beliefs, talking about how it is the safest form of sex and leads way to a fulfilling marriage. Abstinence is NOT strictly related to religiosity, so it is not a violation of privacy and beliefs. Puberty and sex education should be taught as an entire group of boys and girls, and if decided not to do this within a school, a respectable male and respectable female teacher instructs their corresponding sexes. The school system should regulate and monitor to reinforce the teaching of sex education in schools, mandated by the national government.
An average high school class in Cameroon (Cameroon Concord, 2016).
To bring “the talk” back home create a homework assignment to get a parent’s signature describing how your family views sexuality and what core values are understood amongst the members. If the teacher receives a negative or no response, then the teacher should be required to intervene and speak with the family. Schools should place teachers as mandated reporters for abuse in the home. There is a lacking of school and family involvement, so basic parent-teacher conferences and parent-school unions should be developed.
2. Instruct and self-regulate positive male behavior:
Because the problem of breast ironing is rooted in its core as a negative counter action against a high rape culture, men need to be properly informed of the process of becoming a gentleman. Men need to have an open space to talk about love and feelings, rather than women being objectified or materialistic to man when stuck in peer-pressured situations. When a woman becomes objectified, she becomes a form of property. Introducing an admirable role model to high members of the community and speaking on such a topic can create a ripple effect. Boys do not have a very close relation with their father as they go to work to provide for the family, so providing a method to shape them into morally bound beings and teaching them how to properly treat a lady is a rite of passage that is crucial for aspiring boys. An all-boys after school program can accomplish this. Men are almost oblivious to the happenings of breast ironing in their home, so they need to be properly educated on how to notice the act and how to stop it.
By implementing a more strict male behavioral guideline set, men and boys will be taught to respect and care for women. By establishing this belief in a large percent of the males in Cameroon, rape culture can be significantly reduced. This is possible through educating the next generation to change their ideas about what it means to be a "man".
3. Create a more available law enforcement:
In rural areas of Cameroon not much aid is available for women in need, it is almost like crying for help in the middle of nowhere. Not only are the health officials not able to assist in cases of rape as they are located in more urban areas, but law officials are nowhere nearby to assist in crime prevention. They have applied several human rights documents issued by the UN but aren’t really putting them into practice. By creating more law enforcement you are increasing a significant amount of jobs available to the country. By having more officials this offers a place for growth in their justice system and will be able to crack down harder on human rights cases for equal justice considering this isn’t really a problem of traditional belief aspects.
The National Women’s Conference held in Cameroon with a gathering of over 2000 women (Palmer & Palmer, 2015).
4. Educating women on the devastating health effects:
If women are more educated on the horrific effects that happen to their bodies after the practice of breast ironing they will be more deterred to perform it and stand out and say “no”. Breast ironing harms a woman in three ways:
· Biologically
· Psychologically
· Socially
A counter argument to the practice could heavily be made biologically with breast feeding. By damaging the breasts, you prevent normal breast feeding to a woman’s child. If the main concern is to get a women into school to have a chance at life, considering and informing women on how the nutrients of breast milk increases intellectual brain development can be a great reason to appreciate breasts and further their lineage of education down the road.
For those that have currently undergone breast ironing, aid groups from first world country can offer services for breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, and plastic surgery to help relieve some of the trauma that has been placed on victims. The aid groups would grant their care free of charge just for the cause. Such groups can gain awareness and donations in their home countries. This can help increase all efforts across the board and get the ball rolling towards policies and education.