Worried by the unwholesome practice of ironing the breast of girls residing at the Kpaduma and Pygba communities of the Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory, the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Barr Uju Kennedy Ohanenye has condemned the harmful practice in strong terms while reiterating her renewed efforts to scale up plans to eradicate this barbaric act with attendant negative effects on the welfare of the girl child.
 
Speaking during an advocacy and sensitization visit to the Garki Chiefdom, Abuja Municipal Council along with some top management staff of the Ministry, the Minister took a swipe at the ancient traditional practice which falls among gender- based violence against the female gender and solicited the partnership of the District Heads and other local authorities towards eradicating the practice which negates the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at improving the welfare of women and the girl child. 
 
In the same vein, the Minister stated that the purpose of her visit was to further sensitize the community on the consequences of breast ironing, which is being practised on some young girls as traditional rites meant to prevent early male attraction to them, "these practises are totally unacceptable and form part of condemnable and harmful practices against the female gender which must be stamped out" she added.
 
Barrister Ohanenye observed that empirical studies have shown that such traditional practices are behind time and that it behoves the Chiefdom, religious leaders as well as the government to ensure that such rites become a thing of the past.
 
Besides, she added, “this age-long tradition could lead to cancer on the affected girls as it is capable of leading to nipple challenges in their future life as well as the production of sour breast milk for their infants which is dangerous to the growth and development of new born babies”
 
She therefore urged the Council to join hands with government by taking the campaign against the practice to the people at the grassroots even as her Ministry works out modalities to integrate the communities into its sustainable empowerment programs that will improve their livelihood which according to her, will take off in the month of January 2024.
 
She also added that intensive enlightenment campaigns and sensitization will be carried out in the affected communities through town criers and other forms of information dissemination because she won't need anyone to give the excuse of "I was not informed" and after that, any parent who is found wanting will have to face the mobile court for appropriate sanctions because “every child is a government’s child”.
 
Responding, the District Head of Garki Chiefdom Council, HRH (Amb) Emmanuel Gade assured that the Council will support the efforts of government towards bringing an end to the tradition and other forms of harmful practices against the female gender.
 
He also appreciated the Minister and promised that the Council will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Women Affairs to further underscore their readiness to stamp out the age-long harmful practice against the girl child.
 
He further pledged the commitment of the Council to the programs and initiatives of the Ministry in line with the policy thrust of the present administration
 
 
High point of the event was the presentation of gifts to the communities by the Minister and conferment of Sarauniyan Mata of Pygba (Queen of Pygba women) Community on the Minister by His Royal Majesty, Chief (Amb) Emmanuel Gade
 
Ohaeri Osondu Joseph, Fnipr, Fcai
Special Assistant, Media