Whenever FEMEN activists appear at protests in France, one question tends to dominate online conversations: Why do they protest topless?
The answer lies in a strategy the group says is designed to attract attention to issues they believe would otherwise be ignored.
What Is FEMEN?
FEMEN is an international feminist activist movement founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2008. It was established by a group of young women, including Anna Hutsol, at a time when activists said issues such as sexism, prostitution and sex tourism were receiving little public attention in the country.
Initially, the group's protests focused on women's rights issues in Ukraine, including opposition to sex tourism and the exploitation of women. Over time, FEMEN expanded its scope to address a range of issues, including gender-based violence, authoritarianism, LGBTQ+ rights, religious institutions and political repression.
The movement later shifted much of its activity to France. Paris became one of FEMEN's most active centres after several members relocated there in the early 2010s.
Why Do FEMEN Activists Protest Topless?
FEMEN describes its approach as "sextremism", a form of protest that uses the body as a political tool.
The group's activists often demonstrate bare-chested, with slogans painted across their bodies and flower crowns worn on their heads. According to FEMEN, the tactic is intended to challenge the objectification of women's bodies while ensuring that their message attracts public and media attention.
In interviews over the years, members of the group have said that conventional demonstrations failed to generate the same level of visibility.
The topless protests gradually became FEMEN's signature method. While the organisation was founded in 2008, the tactic became more prominent from 2009 onwards and evolved into the movement's defining image.
What Issues Has FEMEN Protested Against?
Over the years, FEMEN activists have staged demonstrations against:
Sex tourism and prostitution
Violence against women
Rape and sexual assault
Religious institutions and religious extremism
Authoritarian governments
Restrictions on women's rights
Russia's actions in Ukraine
Their protests have taken place in countries including Ukraine, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the United States.
Because of their tactics, activists have also faced arrests and legal action in several countries.
Why Is FEMEN Controversial?
FEMEN's methods have generated debate both within and outside feminist movements.
Supporters argue that the protests force conversations around issues that might otherwise receive limited coverage. Critics, including some feminist scholars and activists, have questioned whether the emphasis on nudity overshadows the causes being highlighted.
Others have criticised specific actions undertaken by the group over the years.
FEMEN has maintained that its methods are intended to disrupt public indifference and draw attention to injustice.
Why Are People Searching For FEMEN Today?
Whenever videos and photographs of FEMEN demonstrations circulate online, curiosity about the group's methods resurfaces.
For many, the first question is about the tactic itself.
The second is about the message behind it.
More than 15 years after it was founded, FEMEN remains one of the world's most recognisable feminist protest movements, not only because of how it protests, but also because of the conversations those protests continue to generate.
