LiberPress Catalonia Award 2017

Femen is a rebellious Ukrainian anti-establishment group, founded in Kiev in 2008 by economist Anna Hutsol, which has gained an international reputation. Its members are almost exclusively women and they demonstrate by stripping off in protest at what they consider totalitarianism and the hypocrisy of power: the fanaticism of religions, machismo and the exploitation of women; in favour of human rights and abortion, and against the death penalty and all anti-democratic political activities. It has representations in many countries around the world and its goals are to promote women’s leadership in the face of conservatism and male domination and to organise a women’s revolution through the peaceful demonstration of stripping in public before the leaders they wish to mock.

They believe that undressing is the only way they be will noticed and this way of expressing themselves in protest against cynicism and injustice has proved to be powerful and efficacious. The crowns of flowers they sometimes wear are the symbol of proud femininity and rebellion. Their most audacious actions include the protests at the Egyptian embassy in Stockholm against theocratic religions under the slogan “Sharia is not a constitution”, at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to celebrate the resignation of Benedict XVI, in St. Peter’s Square in Rome with the motto “God is woman”, at the London Olympics to protest against the IOC and its protection of blood-stained Islamist regimes, in Paris in front of the Iranian leader in protest against the death penalty, in Paris against Marie Le Pen, in the United States before the electoral college of Donald Trump, and in Spain against the ultra-conservative cardinal, Rouco Valera, among many others.