Femen

With Ukraine in the news, this informative account of the radical feminist group Femen (which was founded in Ukraine in 2008, but has gone international) is well-timed. The four young founders of Femen (Anna Hutso, Oksana Shachko, Alexandra Shevchenko, Inna Shevchenko) explain why they were drawn to politics, and describe the evolution of their notably theatrical political actions. Opposed to patriarchy and religion, the founders discuss why going topless became a hallmark. They describe some of their actions in detail, from protests against Catholic “fundamentalists” (targeted because of the Church’s opposition to abortion and gay marriage, and its lack of repentance for killing women at the stake during the Inquisition) to actions against Ikea (which became the object of Femen’s ire when it created a catalogue for Saudi Arabia that featured no women). An illuminating epilogue from journalist Ackerman ponders the movement’s future. Ackerman reports that a member of Femen sobbed after the book was completed, saying: “People write books like this when it’s all over.” In a way, concedes Ackerman, this may be correct: the movement “in its historical form,” may be through. However, its energy and legacy will live on, and this account will inspire activists and inform scholars for generations. (July)