ECO-FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES
Eco-feminism is a term that refers to the intersectional approach that considers the
interconnectedness of environmental issues and feminist perspectives. The term “eco-
feminism” was first coined by French feminist Françoise d'Eaubonne in her 1974 book “Le
Féminisme ou la Mort” (Feminism or Death). It highlights the ways in which patriarchal
systems and capitalism contribute to the degradation of the environment and the
subordination of women. It recognizes that the exploitation and destruction of nature are
closely linked to the oppression and subjugation of women, and that both issues are
inherently intertwined.
Eco-feminism is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical approach to environmental
activism that recognizes the importance of addressing gender inequality, social justice, and
environmental degradation as interdependent concerns.
One of the key tenets of eco-feminism is the concept of the “logic of domination.” This idea
suggests that the same underlying systems of domination and exploitation that contribute to
the subjugation of women are also responsible for the exploitation of the environment. The
theory argues that both women and nature have been relegated to the status of mere resources
to be exploited and controlled for the benefit of a small elite. It posits that the domination of
nature, including forests, oceans, and animals, is rooted in the same patriarchal systems that
oppress women.
Eco-feminism also draws on the idea of interconnectedness, recognizing that all life on earth
is interdependent and interconnected. Eco-feminism is based on the premise that the
exploitation of nature and the exploitation of women are interconnected and have common
roots in the dominant culture’s belief that humans are separate from nature and have the right
to dominate and exploit it for their own benefit. This belief has led to the overexploitation of
natural resources, the pollution of the environment, and the destruction of ecosystems, which
have disproportionately affected women and marginalized communities.
Some examples of eco-feminism in action are:
1. Environmental Activism by Women: Eco-feminism is not just a theory; it is also a
movement that seeks to bring about real change. Eco-feminists have been involved in a range
of environmental and social justice campaigns, from opposing the construction of pipelines
and dams to advocating for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. Many women
around the world are at the forefront of environmental activism. They are fighting against
climate change, pollution, deforestation, and other environmental issues that threaten the
health of our planet. For example, women-led movements like the Chipko movement in
India, which protested against the deforestation of forests, and the Green Belt Movement in
Kenya, which focused on reforestation and women's empowerment, have had a significant
impact on environmental policy and activism.
2. Critique of Traditional Patriarchal Values: Eco-feminists argue that traditional patriarchal
values that prioritize economic growth and domination of nature are responsible for the
destruction of the environment. They advocate for a shift towards more holistic and
interconnected ways of thinking about our relationship with the natural world. They promote
values like care, compassion, and collaboration, which they believe are more in line with
sustainable and just practices. It has also led to the development of new theoretical
frameworks, such as the concept of “care ethics,” which emphasizes the importance of
empathy, compassion, and care in our relationships with both other people and the
environment.
3. Advocacy for Local and Sustainable Agriculture: Many eco-feminists advocate for local
and sustainable agriculture as a way to reduce our reliance on industrialized food production
and promote more sustainable ways of living.
4. Critique of Corporate Power: Eco-feminists are critical of the power of corporations and
the ways in which they exploit both women and the environment. They advocate for greater
regulation of corporate practices and for alternative models of economic development that
prioritize sustainability and social justice.
However, the eco-feminism is not without criticism. The eco-feminism ideology which built
its theory on ‘biological’ and ‘essential’ connections between women and nature is being
corrected by the Asia women. Asia women begin with a plea to reject the dominant feminist
attempt to present women as a unitary category, and to recognize the reality of multiple forms
of domination such as caste, class and race. 1Aruna Gnanadason also says that ‘ecofeminst
analysis must acknowledge the internal contradictions among women and cannot ignore that
there are systems and structures in place that distribute power over the use of the resources of
the earth unjustly and unequally, even among women’. 2 Sexual division of labour in capitalist
and market exploitation is the root cause of the contemporary ecological crisis. Gabriele
Dietrich in her analyses on eco-feminist goes beyond the essentialist attempt to valorize
women as natural environmentalist and instead proposes a radical critique of the sexual
division of labour and asserts production of life as the foundational principle to determine our
production and consumption patterns, to crease sustainable communities. 3 Today Asian
women have given a new shift and perspective to the dominant eco-feminist by taking into
consideration the diversities, Asian countries holds and cherishing the diversities as an agent
for better transformation. For example, in the Asian context, subaltern women are today at
the forefront of many of the social movements. Mayilamma of the anti-coca cola struggle in
Plachimada, is one such example. Their unique attempt to problematize the ecological crisis
at the interface of caste, ethnicity, gender and class has challenged the essentialist strands of
eco-feminism and proposed an eco-womanist approach which proposes a shift from
“celebrating differences” to reclaim moral agency and to become new subjects of knowledge
and engagement.
1
Zachariah, ‘Towards an Alternative Earth Ethics’, 196.
2
cited in Zachariah, ‘Towards an Alternative Earth Ethics’, 196.
3
cited in Zachariah, ‘Towards an Alternative Earth Ethics’, 197.
