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1. Retrieved from http://femen.org/en/about

2. Retrieved from http://hiv-stats.realclearworld.com/l/97/Ukraine

3. Cochrane, K. (2013, March 20). Rise of the naked female warriors. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/20/naked-female-warrior-femen-topless-protesters

4. Tayler, J. (2013, May 01). Topless jihad: Why femen is right. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/topless-jihad-why-femen-is-right/275471/

5. Nagarajan, C. (2013, April 11). Femen’s obsession with nudity feeds a racist colonial feminism. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/11/femen-nudity-racist-colonial-feminism

6. Kostelnick, C., & Roberts, D. (2011). Designing visual language. (2nd ed., pp. 13-22). Pearson Education, Inc.

7. Kolsy, U. (2013, May 6). Put your shirts back on: why femen is wrong. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/put-your-shirts-back-on-why-femen-is-wrong/275582/

8. Scevchenko, I. (2013, April 04). Topless in the country of hijab?. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/inna-shevchenko/femen-topless-in-the-country-of-hijab_b_3034211.html

9. Schevchenko, I. (2013, April 10). We are femen, the naked shock troops of feminism. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/10/femen-naked-shock-troops-of-feminism?INTCMP=SRCH

10. Jones, J. (2013, April 05). A gloriously crude topless 'jihad' from a femen activist. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/05/femen-topless-protest-gloriously-crude?INTCMP=SRCH

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An important facet of FEMEN’s protest is the empowerment they attempt to display. They view themselves as reappropriating their bodies, thereby making a defiant claim on the power that women possess, or should posses, over their own bodies. Despite its defiance, the movement is non-violent and members have frequently submitted to arrest or in the case of leaders such as Inna Schevchenko, death threats and abduction.9 While they do not passively submit to arrest they do not fight back (see Figure 7). Femen has a clear methodology that they conform to. They are readily recognizable, steadfast and confrontational in their positions, and fearless of arrest or retribution.¹⁰ This combination of aggressive defiance and non-violence build a distinct ethos for Femen. Most non-violent protest movements do not display so much aggression, anger and belligerence. Femen defies conventions while maintaining a clear method. This has created for them a clear identity and ethos. While many question the effectiveness of their methods, few can question their commitment. While their message and methods might offend, there is little doubt that Femen have created a platform for themselves. Their presence in the media has spread their ideas and called attention to figures such as Amina Tyler, who was largely unknown before Femen took up her cause. Their goal is to create discussion and when looked at in this light, they are clearly a success.

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Femen’s frequent use of profanity and nudity both further the confrontational tone of FEMEN. While the goals of these protests are not always clearly expressed, the protests are angry and force people to pay attention.Femen’s tone is unconventional, aggressive and indeed profane to many. The use of nudity as a form of argument is definitely unconventional though not unheard of. Femen definitely embraces the indignation that they create with their nudity. They are aggressively confrontational towards their chosen targets, creating a serious tension with the Islamic community for their “topless jihad” protests. Slogans such as the aforementioned “”Fuck your morals” and “Religion is slavery” have lead many Muslim women to criticize Femen, claiming that they do not need saving from “western” women (see Figure 6). The group is viewed by many as holding an imperialist worldview in which they hold the answer for “civilizing” backwards societies.5,7 Femen’s response to such criticism has been to maintain the trajectory of their protests and thus, the offence they have caused the Muslim community. Inna Schevchenko wrote a response to such criticisms claiming, “Don't deny that there are millions of your sisters who have been raped and killed because they are not following the wish of Allah! We are here to scream about that.”⁸ Such statements demonstrate the unrelenting and indeed militant values of this organization, seeking to undermine patriarchy wherever they detect it. While their rhetoric has alienated many within the Muslim community and beyond, they have not backed down from their position. They continue to protest nude and have used Amina Tyler’s case to cite the extreme sexism they detect in Islamic culture. They have clearly offended their chosen targets, this being the Muslim community in general. Whether this offence has furthered the persuasiveness of their argument is debatable.

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Conciseness is an area in which Femen excels. The slogans used by the group rarely exceed a few words. Examples such as “Fuck your morals,” “Religion is slavery,” “I am free,” “My body, my rules” and “In gay we trust” carry different messages, but all are starkly presented on bare chests in block lettering. The use of the body as a canvas necessitates messages that are concise if they are to be legible. The use of the naked body itself as a form of argument is extremely concise; it requires only the absence of clothing. Furthermore, the use of symbolic poses and costume provide arguments that can be capture in a single photograph.

Femen’s methods usually land them in jail and protests typically don’t last very long before they are stopped, so as stated previously their methods are geared towards short exposure time. They need to stage protests that are effective in a very short time and many aspects of their style complement these limited exposure times. The shock that they create means they are the focus of attention for many passersby as well as the media (see Figure 5).

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As stated previously, Femen attempts to maximize their arguments through the medium they are given, focusing a great deal of effort on expanding their arguments and ethos through the media coverage they receive in photographs. The poses, slogans and nudity are all elements of this, but their success is not always clear-cut.

Femen’s messages can at times be somewhat unclear (see Figure 4). The point of clarity is for the audience to understand the argument “quickly and completely.”⁶ Femen’s presence is hard to miss and the text on their signs and bodies is both easy to see and aggressively displayed, but the message itself is not always as apparent. Femen is geared towards short exposure time. The defiant attitude comes across, but the message takes some consideration that the media does not help to facilitate.

While the exact meaning of the slogans may not always be entirely clear, it is easy to see. This sacrifice of explanation for a concise and readily legible message is understandable. The group is not known for providing many feasible solutions to the problems they protest. Rather their slogans and nudity serve to reprimand society in an extremely confrontational manner. Dissatisfaction, anger and conflict are all readily apparent. The nudity in conjunction with frequent use of profanity in slogans wholly emphasizes these attitudes. Femen’s arguments defy societal mores and are undoubtedly shocking to many people.
Yet, the nudity might not always be as relevant to the chosen subject of protest. While protesting the value system of a religious institution, nudity can be a poignant attack. However, when protesting the Russian president for his disregard of Ukrainian welfare, nudity seems less relevant. Many people tend to have a visceral reaction of shock or discomfort due to Femen, without considering the message. When the nudity that causes this discomfort doesn’t seem entirely relevant to the message, Femen is less persuasive to both its targets and those who may support their cause.

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Many of Femen’s methods emphasize their preoccupation with media. The use of English in their slogans and signs displays their focus on media coverage and makes their message accessible to a wider audience. They have clearly constructed this method of argument with an eye for media coverage and are clearly dependent on this coverage to spread their message. The tools they have to maximize their argument through the media also include their appearance in photos. They frequently stand with fists clutched in the air, or with their hands on their hips. The overall appearance is of naked, angry and defiant women communicating a clear attitude for the group.
However, the most striking thing about Femen’s protests is clearly the nudity. More specifically, these protestors bare their breasts, an action that is socially provocative. Femen’s decision to protest topless has not only established for them a media presence, but serves as a poignant argument in its own right. The argument is that women’s bodies are seen as sex objects and the ire that protesting topless receives calls attention to the objectification of women’s bodies. Defying the convention of covering their breasts is meant as an attack on the value system of patriarchal societies. Through these protests, Femen’s intention is to show women re-appropriating their bodies, emphasizing that they are the only rightful owners of their own flesh (see Figure 3). Therefore, toplessness has become the defining feature of their protests even when the message varies. Again the shock value can muddle the argument. The emphasis on their bodies can be interpreted as an exhibitionist and provocative statement rather than a political one. Targets of attacks latch on to their partial nudity as displaying a lack of values rather than making a real statement. Furthermore, their nudity alienates many people who may otherwise agree with their message. The group has made these sacrifices in order to spread their message as far and wide as possible.

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The arrangement that Femen protesters conform to makes them instantly recognizable. The arrangement is centered on the use of a woman’s body as a canvas. This has become Femen’s signature method, though the symbol of the organization is a wreath of flowers, which many protestors wear. This group originally protested fully clothed, but gained little media coverage. During this time, the group incorporated flowers, signs and bright colors during protests in what was a largely unsuccessful attempt to try and attract attention. That changed in 2009, when they started to conduct protests topless. Their current arrangement incorporates slogans primarily written in black lettering on their bare chests and back, with the intention that the messages will always be visible. They also carry signs with the same stark black lettering. Often, they will wear costumes pertaining to the issue they are protesting (such as hijabs in the case of their topless jihad). The signature arrangement of Femen, however, has centered on topless bodies and signs with stark black lettering. Because many media outlets choose to crop out the protesters nudity, they begun to also write slogans on their arms, so their message would not be entirely lost (see Figure 2). Another important arrangement element is the defiant poses that Femen protesters make, serving to reinforce the in your face attitude of the group.

Shock is main force of Femen’s arguments. However the shock value created by their toplessness has alienated some feminists who claim their methods cloud the message.⁵ In other words, the fact that a group of topless women were protesting receives more coverage than what they were actually protesting. Yet, articles about the group still mention the causes they are supporting and therefore the media attention they receive from their methods establishes a viable platform to spread some of their ideas. Ultimately, the arrangement of Femen’s arguments is a mixed bag that alienates some sympathetic parties, but results in more coverage than they would otherwise get.

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Femen was formed in 2008 as a group protesting the Ukrainian sex industry. Ukraine has long been a major center for prostitution and sex tourism in Europe. Furthermore, Ukraine has one of the highest rates of HIV/Aids in Europe with an estimated 24,000 people dying annually from the disease.² Femen has continued to denounce the prevalence of prostitution in the country and was quite vocal with this message while protesting the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. Femen has demonstrated against such diverse entities as the Orthodox Church and Islam, as well as the London Olympics and political leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko and Silvio Berlusconi.

When they originally started protesting, Femen members wore a lot of bright colors and dressed provocatively, but there was little media attention. Starting in 2009 there was a change of tactics, their rhetoric became a lot more confrontational and aggressive and they began protesting topless.³ These changes gained them a lot of media attention as well as controversy.

While Femen continues to support numerous causes, the current focus of Femen’s protests has been the plight of Amina Tyler (see Figure 1). Tyler, a Tunisian national, posted topless pictures of herself online, including one with the message written across her chest, “My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone’s honor.”⁴ This outrage that this caused led to Almi Adel, the head of the Comission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, calling for Amina to be stoned to death. Subsequently, her family held her in captivity during which time she was beaten, drugged and forced to visit imams and read the Quran.⁴ She escaped and as of May 2013 is currently in hiding.
Femen has been protesting in defense of Amina and has used her case to launch a general attack, dubbed a “topless jihad” on the role of women in Islam. These protests have included such incendiary slogans as “Fuck your morals” and “Religion is slavery,” which have received backlash from many Muslim women.² Femen’s controversial methods will be analyzed in the following section according to Kostelnick and Roberts six cognates.

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This project examines the visual rhetoric of Femen, a Ukrainian protest group whose stated mission is “to undermine the foundations of the patriarchal world.”¹ Both their methods of protesting and their frequently inflammatory messages have made them quite controversial. They are group that is focused on bringing light to the plight of women and other “victims of patriarchy” such as the LGBT community. Their support for these groups has for the most part taken the form of protests against various institutions and political figures. In this context they can be seen as addressing two distinct audience groups. The first are those who support the same causes as Femen, usually encompassing those who identify as feminists. The second of these audience groups are targets of their attacks, i.e. those who maintain patriarchy and patriarchal society in general. The immediate goal of their organization is to illuminate issues and create debate rather than any accomplish any specific political action. This project offers a brief history of Femen and some of the causes they have supported, followed by an analysis of Femen’s methods of argumentation according to Kostelnick and Roberts six cognates.