FEMEN
Encyclopedia
FEMEN is a Ukrainian
protest group based in Kiev
, founded in 2008. The organisation became internationally known for organizing topless protests against sex tourists, international marriage agencies, sexism and other social, national and international ills. Some of the goals of the organisation are: "To develop leadership, intellectual and moral qualities of the young women in Ukraine" and "To build up the image of Ukraine, the country with great opportunities for women". As of late April 2010 the organisation is contemplating becoming a political party
to run for seats in the next Ukrainian parliamentary election
.
, there are about 300 active participants in the movement. There are few male members of FEMEN. The group comprises some 20 topless activists and 300 fully clothed members. Most of its demonstrations are staged in Kiev, but FEMEN has also held actions in cities like Odessa
, Dnipropetrovsk
and Zaporizhia
. While most of the protests have been ‘topless’ in 2010 one FEMEN protester exposed her buttocks
outside a locked toilet in a demonstration to protest about the lack of public toilets in Kiev.
The goals of the organization is "to shake women in Ukraine, making them socially active; to organize in 2017 a women's revolution." The group has stated it has enjoyed limited success in pushing its agenda.
FEMEN justifies its provocative methods stating "This is the only way to be heard in this country. If we staged simple protests with banners, then our claims would not have been noticed". The organisation plans to become the biggest and the most influential feminist movement in Europe
.
Some members claim their involvement in FEMEN caused their families to become alienated from them.
FEMEN receives small financial backing by individuals (including DJ Hell
).
Facebook
initially blocked the FEMEN page because it suspected it was pornographic.
Late April 2011 the organization claimed it was setting up international branches in Warsaw
, Zurich
, Rome
, Tel Aviv
and Rio de Janeiro
. They also claimed that after the early 2010 election
of President Viktor Yanukovych
the Security Service of Ukraine has attempted to intimidate the FEMEN activists.
FEMEN occasionally holds rallies outside Ukraine.
(born 1983, most FEMEN members are younger) after she became attuned to the sad stories of Ukrainian woman duped by false promises from abroad: "I set up FEMEN because I realised that there was a lack of women activists in our society; Ukraine is male-oriented and women take a passive role." Since then the organization has staged noticeable erotically-flavored rallies
(among others) near the building of the Cabinet of Ministers
, at Maidan Nezalezhnosti
, the Turkish embassy in Ukraine
and in front of the Iranian embassy to oppose the expected execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
.
Hutsol is adamantly opposed to legalizing prostitution in Ukraine. FEMEN proposed the introduction of criminal responsibility for the use of sex industry services late in May 2009.
A demonstration by a group called RU FEMEN in the Russia
n capital Moscow
late April 2011 was immediately denounced as a fake offspring of FEMEN. FEMEN accused Russian political party United Russia
of having set up this RU FEMEN.
FEMEN does not enjoy popular support.
According to Reuters
"Femen represents -- albeit on a modest scale -- one of the few regular street protest movements". In Ukraine the FEMEN activists have been labeled "girls Tymoshenko
" and/or "Putin
's agents; some parents of FEMEN activists have wondered if they were addicted to drugs. But the organization claims to be an independent organization "Beyond politics and beyond religion".
The group's actions have been reported in news-outlets such as CNN
, BBC News
, Der Spiegel
, Die Welt
, Independent.ie, France 24
, on Euronews
, Kyiv Post
, Mizozo, USA Today
, Reuters
and The Washington Post
.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
protest group based in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, founded in 2008. The organisation became internationally known for organizing topless protests against sex tourists, international marriage agencies, sexism and other social, national and international ills. Some of the goals of the organisation are: "To develop leadership, intellectual and moral qualities of the young women in Ukraine" and "To build up the image of Ukraine, the country with great opportunities for women". As of late April 2010 the organisation is contemplating becoming a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
to run for seats in the next Ukrainian parliamentary election
Next Ukrainian parliamentary election
On February 1, 2011 the Verkhovna Rada set the election date for the next Ukrainian parliamentary election for October 28, 2012. The elections will use a mixed voting system with a 5% election threshold and the participation of blocs of political parties will not be allowed anymore...
.
The organisation
Female university students between 18 and 20 years old form the backbone of the movement. In KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, there are about 300 active participants in the movement. There are few male members of FEMEN. The group comprises some 20 topless activists and 300 fully clothed members. Most of its demonstrations are staged in Kiev, but FEMEN has also held actions in cities like Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...
and Zaporizhia
Zaporizhia
Zaporizhia or Zaporozhye [formerly Alexandrovsk ] is a city in southeastern Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia Oblast...
. While most of the protests have been ‘topless’ in 2010 one FEMEN protester exposed her buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
outside a locked toilet in a demonstration to protest about the lack of public toilets in Kiev.
The goals of the organization is "to shake women in Ukraine, making them socially active; to organize in 2017 a women's revolution." The group has stated it has enjoyed limited success in pushing its agenda.
FEMEN justifies its provocative methods stating "This is the only way to be heard in this country. If we staged simple protests with banners, then our claims would not have been noticed". The organisation plans to become the biggest and the most influential feminist movement in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Some members claim their involvement in FEMEN caused their families to become alienated from them.
FEMEN receives small financial backing by individuals (including DJ Hell
DJ Hell
This article is about Helmut Josef Geier. You may also be looking for Darryl Hell.Helmut Josef Geier, professionally known as DJ Hell is a German house-techno DJ...
).
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
initially blocked the FEMEN page because it suspected it was pornographic.
Late April 2011 the organization claimed it was setting up international branches in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. They also claimed that after the early 2010 election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
of President Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
the Security Service of Ukraine has attempted to intimidate the FEMEN activists.
FEMEN occasionally holds rallies outside Ukraine.
History
The movement was founded in 2008 by Anna HutsolAnna Hutsol
Anna Hutsol is a Ukrainian activist and founder of FEMEN. She is an economist and has a background in theater and uses that skill to attract attention to her cause – for Ukrainian women to gain access to society and politics.-FEMEN:...
(born 1983, most FEMEN members are younger) after she became attuned to the sad stories of Ukrainian woman duped by false promises from abroad: "I set up FEMEN because I realised that there was a lack of women activists in our society; Ukraine is male-oriented and women take a passive role." Since then the organization has staged noticeable erotically-flavored rallies
Nudity and protest
Public nudity has sometimes been used to attract more attention to a public protest, a tactic used by the Doukhobors in the early 20th century, and later used more widely...
(among others) near the building of the Cabinet of Ministers
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
, at Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti is the central square of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the main city squares, it is located on the Khreschatyk Street...
, the Turkish embassy in Ukraine
Turkey–Ukraine relations
Turkish–Ukrainian relations are foreign relations between Turkey and Ukraine. Turkey and Ukraine have a long chronology of historical, geographic, and cultural contact. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established in early 1990s when Turkey became one of the first states in the...
and in front of the Iranian embassy to oppose the expected execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani , is an Iranian woman who has gained the attention of human rights groups and people throughout the world for a conviction of adultery and accompanying sentence of death by stoning. Since 2006, she has been imprisoned and under a death sentence in Tabriz, Iran after being...
.
Hutsol is adamantly opposed to legalizing prostitution in Ukraine. FEMEN proposed the introduction of criminal responsibility for the use of sex industry services late in May 2009.
A demonstration by a group called RU FEMEN in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n capital Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
late April 2011 was immediately denounced as a fake offspring of FEMEN. FEMEN accused Russian political party United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
of having set up this RU FEMEN.
Cultural and political image
FEMEN's actions received criticisms in Ukraine for "being meaningless" or "being outright tasteless". According to Ukrainian gender studies expert Tetyana Bureychak most Ukrainian women are unimpressed by FEMEN. According to sociologist Oleh Demkiv of the Lviv UniversityLviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
FEMEN does not enjoy popular support.
According to Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
"Femen represents -- albeit on a modest scale -- one of the few regular street protest movements". In Ukraine the FEMEN activists have been labeled "girls Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
" and/or "Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's agents; some parents of FEMEN activists have wondered if they were addicted to drugs. But the organization claims to be an independent organization "Beyond politics and beyond religion".
The group's actions have been reported in news-outlets such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, Die Welt
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
, Independent.ie, France 24
France 24
France 24 is an international news and current affairs television channel. The service is aimed at the overseas market, similar to BBC World News, DW-TV, NHK World and RT, and broadcast through satellite and cable operators throughout the world. During 2010 the channel started broadcasting through...
, on Euronews
EuroNews
Euronews is an international multilingual news television channel.It covers world news from what it claims to be a 'European' perspective.Criticisms are that the perspective is in fact that of the European Commission - a major and growing funder of Euronews....
, Kyiv Post
Kyiv Post
The Kyiv Post is Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper.-History:The Kyiv Post was founded in September 1995 by an American, Jed Sunden. The paper covers politics, business and entertainment. The staff is a team of Western and Ukrainian journalists. Historically, the editorial policy has...
, Mizozo, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
External links
- Official website
- Official weblog
- Informational webpage
- Azarov sexism is hurting this nation, editorial by FEMEN leader Anna Hutsol (April 15, 2010)
- Video: Topless protest in Kiev, 16 August 2011
- Video: Georgian Embassy Staff Attacks Topless Girls Protesting in Kiev, 18 July 2011