Femen UK: Topless Feminist Leader Inna Shevchenko to Give 'Advice' to the Queen

Inna Shevchenko, leader of the infamous Femen's "sextremist" group of activists from Ukraine, has stated that Queen Elizabeth "should speak up more" about women's rights, ahead of the launch of a UK Femen branch.

"I wish that every woman in power, including the Queen, would not only play the role of a symbol but also use the possibility they have to promote the idea of women being in power," Shevchenko told IBTimes UK.

Buckingham Palace is not the primary target for the controversial activists, who are notorious for their bare-chested protests on issues such as prostitution, abortion and the hijab.

The 25-year-old Shevchenko is based in France, where Femen has its largest membership. She explained that launching in Britain was prompted by strong demand on this side of the channel.

Apparently more than 30 British women expressed their firm intention to join Femen UK, which will focus on topics such as Muslim extremism in Britain and female genital mutilation.

"We are worried about prostitution that is legal in the UK, very irritated by female genital mutilation and the niqab discussion in Britain," said Shevchenko.

"We are opposed to certain British conservatism still existing in British society. Femen exists to disturb it and shake it somehow."

"Islam is violence"

A fresh British arm of Femen's sextremists is likely to spark controversy in the vast Muslim community of the country, which was outraged by the group's crusade regarding persecuted Arab feminist blogger Amina Tyler and Egyptian "naked blogger" Aliaa Magda Elmahdy.

Topless Jihad day, which comprised the demonstration of naked feminists against aspects of sharia and Islamist orthodoxy, triggered a viral counter-protest staged on Facebook page "Muslim women against Femen" and Twitter #muslimahpride.

Many commentators pointed the finger at what they perceived to be a patronising, superficial, counter-productive and ultimately xenophobic attempt to liberate women's body. As Sara Yasin highlighted in the New York Times:

"Wearing a hijab isn't liberating - but neither is baring one's breasts. What is liberating is being able to choose either of these things?"

But Shevchenko rejects those critiques claiming that the battle to takes one clothes off "is the universal instrument for women's fight in patriarchal society where we live".

"I would never accept the point of view that hijab or scarves can be a choice of women until the moment that in more in ten countries in the world women are obliged by law to cover themselves," she says. "I would not accept it until religion takes this active place in political debate as it has right now."

"Muslim women very often call themselves Muslim feminist. This is something that is oxymoronic for me. It cannot exist," she said. "When those women say 'this is my feminism, I keep my dignity, I cover myself' this is not feminism that is talking to us this is Islam that is talking to us."

"Personally I always name Islam as one of the most violent religions of today."

Praxis versus Theory

The violence of sexism cannot be fought on purely theoretical grounds on, Shevchenko said.

After becoming an activist Shevchenko was kidnapped by Belarusian police, beaten, tortured and forced to escape her home country for asylum in France. Femen was launched because years of feminist doctrine had led to a stagnation of the movement: theory needed to be translated into action and Feminism needed a radical branch, an armed wing.

"We are the extremists of feminism," Shevchenko said. "Feminist academic ideology, debates, speeches and theories are all very well written and explained.

"We're writing history, not articles."

The group's weapons are its members' topless bodies flashed in commando raids against political and symbolic targets across the world, she added.

Started as a small university protest group in Ukraine, Femen initially staged protests against prostitution and sex tourism in the former Soviet Union country. From there it evolved into a more radical global movement, known for its topless, eye-catching protests and attempts to grab headlines.

Femen activities have included an ambush of Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We need to come very close to patriarchy and attack it," Shevchenko said.

"During that sort of action you could see those big guys, powerful guys, who fear from three naked stripped girls."

Femen opposes sexism by showing half-naked, Barbie-like women with political slogans emblazoned across their chests.

"Femen action is kind of dramaturgy of gender reality," she says.

"We are not showing sexy women cleaning in the kitchen, but women in the streets with posters with political messages."

"We use the appearance of pretty young girls with makeup on purpose," she said.

"We are showing what they made us, how they made us and that now those [puppets] are cutting the ropes and walking by themselves, fighting against the masters who made them like this," Shevchenko said.

"It's a revolution we are demanding: to take naked women not as prostitute, not as sex object anymore."

Russell Brand should watch out.