#1


WE ARE THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

We unite young women basing on the principles of social awareness and activism, intellectual and cultural development.

We recognise the European values of freedom, equality and comprehensive development of a person irrespective of the gender.

We build up a national image of feminity, maternity and beauty based on the Euro-Athlantic Women’s Movements experience.

We set up brand new standards of the civil movement in Ukraine.

We have worked out our own unique form of a civil self-expression based on courage, creativity, efficiency and shock.

We demonstrate that the civil movements can influence the public opinion and lobby the interests of a target group.

We plan to become the biggest and the most influential feminist movement in Europe.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the “FEMEN” Movement is to create the most favorable conditions for the young women to join up into a social group with the general idea of the mutual support and social responsibility, helping to reveal the talents of each member of the Movement.

OUR GOALS

To react and influence the acute social issues of the Ukrainian society, especially those that directly touch upon the interests of the Ukrainian Women.

To counteract actively the negative tendencies endangering physical and mental health of the Ukrainian women community.

Inform the society of the Ukrainian women’s issues and problems.

To develop leadership, intellectual and moral qualities of the young women in Ukraine.

To build up the image of Ukraine, the country with great opportunities for women.

To establish cooperation with other international women’s organizations to carry out the large-scale international programmes on the territory of Ukraine.

OUR PROGRAMMES

“Ukraine is not a Brothel”: The National Programme targeted at fighting against the sex-tourism in Ukraine.

“Sex is not for Sale”: The Programme to fight against sex and porn industry in Ukraine.

“MATER FEST”: The first international festival of a modern women culture.

«Kyiv Glam Sprint 2009»: The Ukrainian analogue of the international movement “Race on high hills”.

“The Green Mile”: The Programme to abolish the lifetime sentence for women in Ukraine.

Emergency programme: The Programme of immediate reacting on the acute issues that includes street actions and performances.



Pictures (NSFW):

http://cryptome.org/info/femen/femen-protest.htm

http://www.buzzfeed.com/gavon/the-best-of-femen-nsfw

===NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH "RU FEMEN", UNITED RUSSIA'S FAKE VERSION===

Edited by babyfinland ()

#2
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#3

tpaine posted:
Tom do you pronabate



no

#4
i went to ukraine this summer and all the women i saw were insanely beautiful. the guy who owned our hostel tried to pressure us into getting prostitutes but we didnt. im a misogynist aka a sexhaver. ok thats my post. im drunk as shit. victory to womens struggle. goodnight.
#5
auto-objectification in the name of feminism...... interesting.......
#6
Now this is feminism I can get behind!!
#7
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#8
i'm ukrainian and i want to learn more about the ukraine. i might go get a book about the ukraine today.

also,
#9
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#10

discipline posted:
jesus christ tat's not real please don't post that kind of stuff

the world is a vampire set to drain

#11
im proud of this
#12
they're all insanely attractive , kinda makes you wonder why they're into feminism
#13
i should start taking my tits out at protests,terrify the cops into giving into our demands
#14

futurewidow posted:
they're all insanely attractive , kinda makes you wonder why they're into feminism



because theyre intelligent and willful women who understand the power of political organization, i guess? i hope youre kidding

#15
no sex tourism? sounds like a war against old people
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#17

futurewidow posted:
they're all insanely attractive , kinda makes you wonder why they're into feminism



theyre all white too *scales fall from eyes*

#18
Wow White Ppl in Ukraine WTf
#19

cleanhands posted:

futurewidow posted:
they're all insanely attractive , kinda makes you wonder why they're into feminism

theyre all white too *scales fall from eyes*



This is kind of what I wanted to discuss, specifically this statement:

We build up a national image of feminity, maternity and beauty based on the Euro-Athlantic Women’s Movements experience.



Euro-Atlantic: White? and is this problematic for Eastern Europe?

#20
using sex to push a "feminist" agenda like this requires pretty much the exact same feat of mental gymnastics one would use to believe in things like microcredit
#21

Groulxsmith posted:
using sex to push a "feminist" agenda like this requires pretty much the exact same feat of mental gymnastics one would use to believe in things like microcredit



thats my initial thought but who am i to tell women how to Do feminism. i think they are somehow circumventing sexual objectification (through some kind of overidentification maybe) and asserting their positions successfully.

#22

babyfinland posted:
thats my initial thought but who am i to tell women how to Do feminism. i think they are somehow circumventing sexual objectification (through some kind of overidentification maybe) and asserting their positions successfully.



maybe, but i think there's a limit when recognizing one's own privilege and consequently avoiding paternalistic approval or disapproval of a tactic; sometimes things are evidently wrong.

i don't realistically believe that this idea of subversion by way of overexposure will not end up either being a lad mag side story or so abstract as to have no real meaning (see: the people who believe queer public sex is a revolutionary act).

#23

Groulxsmith posted:

babyfinland posted:
thats my initial thought but who am i to tell women how to Do feminism. i think they are somehow circumventing sexual objectification (through some kind of overidentification maybe) and asserting their positions successfully.

maybe, but i think there's a limit when recognizing one's own privilege and consequently avoiding paternalistic approval or disapproval of a tactic; sometimes things are evidently wrong.

i don't realistically believe that this idea of subversion by way of overexposure will not end up either being a lad mag side story or so abstract as to have no real meaning (see: the people who believe queer public sex is a revolutionary act).



well the difference is that they have clear items in mind that they have been pretty successful in making clear in their protestations themselves. it's not simply anarchistic lawbreaking, it's overtly political

#24
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#26
did u watch the second episode of black mirror discipline
#27
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#28
i think attitudes (certainly in the u.s. and almost certainly in ukraine) are such that just about anyone who takes away from their display the idea that women are indeed human beings probably didn't just reach this epiphany upon seeing an attractive topless woman in public. i think it's much more likely that their pictures will end up showcased on the internet as pornography than they are to inspire genuinely pro-woman action
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#30
http://workthatmatters.blogspot.com/2011/12/femen-v-millionaire-fair-nudity.html
#31

OSOCIO: How was the idea of FEMEN first conceived?

Anna: It was not difficult, as everyone knows how many problems are here in Ukraine and as Ukrainian girls we feel that every day in our minds and bodies. So all we needed was to be brave enough to tell the world about it. That’s why we decided to show that women are protesting, and to use our bodies as weapon in the fight.

OSOCIO: Have your objectives changed since then?

Anna: Yes, we have added many objectives to our program. But like in the beginning we still demand to stop sex tourism and prostitution in Ukraine. We demand to let women develop themselves.




OSOCIO: How do you respond to critics who say that topless protest objectifies women?

Anna: As young, simple Ukrainian girls, we believe in what we are doing, and we know what we need to do to protect ourselves. FEMEN was trying different ways of fighting and in our experience we understood that only radical things can change the situation. At this time, in this country, only radical women’s protest can shake the world of passive women.




OSOCIO: How do male supporters fit in to FEMEN?

Anna: We have many men who support us and even help in our work. Men who are ready to see women as strong people can help FEMEN girls. We have many supporters who help FEMEN with donations. Also we have photographers help us and even some men who come to our performances to protect the girls from police. So we are not against men, but we want to be independent from them.

OSOCIO: What will be the future of FEMEN in 5 years? In 10?

Anna: We want to create a new style of living for women that will mean to being active and developing themselves. For that we are planning to go to Europe to open branches in each European capital. We will teach all women to be free and always get all they need. Soon FEMEN will be an international movement.



http://workthatmatters.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-with-femens-founder-anna.html

#32
men will sexualize women in any context, no matter how non-sexual it may be intended. it's a fairly mainstream attitude too, not like a specific fetish. how long do you think a discussion of women in the IDF or qadaffi's bodyguards can get before men take it in a predictable direction? how many pictures have been taken of women on a beach by perverts with a telescopic lens? there is a celebrity feet wiki
#33

discipline posted:
too bad they're not necessarily trying to reach out to men lol, if they are revolutionary (I believe they are) they are trying to reach out to women


then why be topless at all, i guess is what i wonder. does that really resonate more than the oppression itself, which at least on some level, a woman could understand?

#34

Groulxsmith posted:
men will sexualize women in any context, no matter how non-sexual it may be intended. it's a fairly mainstream attitude too, not like a specific fetish. how long do you think a discussion of women in the IDF or qadaffi's bodyguards can get before men take it in a predictable direction? how many pictures have been taken of women on a beach by perverts with a telescopic lens? there is a celebrity feet wiki



so that should pretty much tell you that trying to avoid sexualization is silly and unproductive, right?

#35

aerdil posted:
did u watch the second episode of black mirror discipline


i did, it owned really hard. so far that whole series has been lf as fuck

#36
babyfinland you're right, but i guess what i'm trying to say is they can be attractive or ugly; they can be clothed or naked; but why make it easier to quickly become just a novelty? men will end up talking about "hate fucking" even women they find unattractive or dislike, but by trying to subvert obvious sexual mores, i'm not sure it's going to circumvent anything.

i will admit, i don't really know what form revolutionary feminism should take. based on their manifesto, while their goals may be admirable, they seem to be really nothing more than a group willing to work within the confines of the political process with unconventional tactics that at best simply draw attention.
#37

aerdil posted:

did u watch the second episode of black mirror discipline



#38
disciplines in the uk soooooo

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/black-mirror/episode-guide
#39
its seriously one of the most disturbing portrayals of a dystopia i've seen in quite a long time, probably because it's actually happening. its also related to this thread.
#40

futurewidow posted:
they're all insanely attractive , kinda makes you wonder why they're into feminism

lol

but seriously, this is great, i wonder what the internal politik is like. when this first popped up, i figured it was a Color Revolution type rearguard or something, but that seems to be a misjudgment on my part. HmmmM, wonder what's the class dimension here