'Ukraine is not a brothel!' This was the first cry of rage uttered by Femen during Euro 2012.
Bare-breasted and crowned with flowers, perched on their high heels, Femen transform their bodies into instruments of political expression through slogans and drawings flaunted on their skin. Humour, drama, courage and shock tactics are their weapons.
Since 2008, this 'gang of four' – Inna, Sasha, Oksana and Anna – has been developing a spectacular, radical, new feminism. First in Ukraine and then around the world, they are struggling to obtain better conditions for women, but they also fight poverty, discrimination, dictatorships and the dictates of religion. These women scale church steeples and climb into embassies, burst into television studios and invade polling stations. Some of them have served time in jail, been prosecuted for ‘hooliganism’ in their home country and are banned from living in other states. But thanks to extraordinary media coverage, the movement is gaining imitators and supporters in France, Germany, Brazil and elsewhere.
Inna, Sasha, Oksana and Anna have an extraordinary story and here they tell it in their own words, and at the same time express their hopes and ambitions for women throughout the world.
By:
Femen,
Galia Ackerman
Translated by:
Andrew Brown
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 211mm,
Width: 150mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 304g
ISBN: 9780745683225
ISBN 10: 0745683223
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 18 April 2014
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Manifesto vii A Movement of Free Women: Preface by Galia Ackerman xiii Part I: The Gang of Four 1. Inna, a Quiet Hooligan 3 2. Anna, the Instigator 13 3. Sasha, the Shy One 24 4. Oksana, the Iconoclast 34 Part II: Action 5. ‘Ukraine Is Not a Brothel’ 43 6. No More Nice Quiet Protests 68 7. Femen Goes All Out 89 8. In Belarus: A Dramatic Experience 105 9. Femen Gets Radical 117 10. ‘I’m Stealing Putin’s Vote!’ 122 11. Naked Rather Than in a Niqab! 128 12. Femen France 150 13. Our Dreams, Our Ideals, Our Men 161 One Year Later: Afterword by Galia Ackerman 168 Notes 182
Femen is a feminist protest group which was founded in Ukraine in 2008 by Anna Hutso, Oksana Shachko, Alexandra Shevchenko and Inna Shevchenko, who are among its key members. They have attracted worldwide attention for a series of high-profile protests at key international events and currently live in exile in France.
Reviews for Femen
Femen and Everyday Sexism are two breakthrough movements to emerge in recent times, and they bring their own distinct 'manifestos' in book form. Both confirm that feminism is no longer a dirty word among twentysomethings but also that the ideology manifests itself differently from their campaigning Second Wave predecessors. The Independent With Femen, we are dealing with something new ... Its activists are charting a new route for public discourse about women and religion, and making it an unabashedly universal discourse, venturing into realms where they may be hated, and they may yet pay a high price for this. But that they have gotten people talking, even shouting and crying, is undeniable, and it is good; only through debate and discussion, sometimes painful, often unsettling, will we progress. The Atlantic Femen's aims are straightforward, broad and radical. A war on patriarchy on three fronts, calling for an end to all religions, dictatorship and the sex industry. The Guardian Part manifesto part biography this is Ukranian protest group FEMEN in their own words. Currently exiles in France, the four key members outline their objectives and sextremist tactics. A timely look at their 'non-violent but highly aggressive' topless brand of feminist activism. Diva Magazine This account will inspire activists and inform scholars for generations. Publishers Weekly
