From war to politics to art, shock tactics can be useful, powerful tools. They force the opposed to take notice, to hopefully retreat, to surrender their advantage. In the arena of human and women’s rights, they are a staple — from the burning of draft cards during the anti-Vietnam war protests of the 1960s to bra burning (myth or no) to Mohamed Bouazizi, the street vendor who set himself on fire and inadvertently roused the Tunisian Revolution — shock tactics can, and do work.
CNN: Sexualized Femen protest ‘naive and foolish at best’
Editor's note: Bim Adewunmi is a freelance journalist and editor whose work has appeared in the Guardian and The New Statesman, among other titles. She writes about popular culture, race and feminism, and lives in London. Follow @bimadew on Twitter. Adewumni says the approach by woman's rights group Femen is naive at best -- but in a counter-argument, Femen leader Inna Shevchenko says mass sexual protest will allow women to take back control.
(CNN) - "My body belongs to me and is not the source of anyone's honor."
The words of Tunisian activist Amina Ahmed, scrawled across her naked chest in Arabic and posted on Femen's Facebook page are true, and right. Women should have the choice to dress how they want, when they want, without fear of reprisal and safe from harm. As too many women in all corners of the can attest, this is not the reality.
