Anna Hutsol Ганна Гуцол | |
|---|---|
 Hutsol in 2014 | |
| Born | 16 October 1984 |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Anna Hutsol[a 1] (Anna Vasylivna Hutsol;[1] born 16 October 1984[2]) is a Ukrainian activist and one of the founders of the radical feminist activist group FEMEN.
Hutsol was born in Russia but moved to Ukraine with her parents in 1991.[3][a 2] She is an economist[4] and a former assistant to singer Tina Karol.[5]
Hutsol founded FEMEN in 2008 after she became attuned to the sad stories of Ukrainian women duped by false promises from abroad:[6] "I set up FEMEN because I realised that there was a lack of women activists in our society; Ukraine is male-oriented and women take a passive role."[7] According to Hutsol the skills she acquired during her time with Tina Karol have helped FEMEN's "public relations".[5] FEMEN's main choice of action is topless demonstrations.[8] The group started protesting against prostitution in Ukraine[9][10] and broadened their agenda to women's rights and civil rights in Ukraine and around the world.[citation needed]
Hutsol wanted to seek representation for FEMEN in the Verkhovna Rada in January 2011;[11] but FEMEN did not take part in the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[12][13]
On 16 November 2012 Hutsol was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg as a person barred from entering Russia.[14][15] She was deported back to her point of departure Paris.[14]
Late August 2013 Shevchenko and several fellow FEMEN-members have fled out of Ukraine fearing for their lives and freedom.[16][17][18] Hutsol requested for asylum in Switzerland in 2013, but the authorities rejected her request on 27 March 2014.[19]
