What is ecofeminism?

By Humairaa Mayet

Edited by Imaan Moosa & Tasmiyah Randeree

Nothing exists in a vacuum, least of all issues of disparity and inequality. Environmentalism and feminism are inextricably bound and the recognition of the intersection of these two issues is of the utmost importance.

Women around the world are demanding that action be taken around the issue of climate change. Photo: Women’s Media Centre.

Ecofeminism is an ideology that seeks to draw attention to the fact that climate change and gender inequality are not mutually exclusive. In order to successfully combat the former, the latter, too, must be confronted.

The world is hurtling toward a deeply uncertain future at an alarmingly rapid rate; not only is the environment under attack on all fronts but so is the notion of gender equality.

Male dominance is thriving in multiple spheres of society, as are qualities typically perceived to be masculine such as aggression and the relentless pursuit of power above all else.

Françoise d'Eaubonne, the French feminist who coined the term ‘ecofeminism’

These harsh qualities have resulted in havoc being wreaked upon the world in its entirety; movements such as ecofeminism have emerged to combat this scourge of male dominance.

Ecofeminism is a relatively new ideology, only having come into being in 1974 when issues of environmental degradation made their way to the fore of feminist movements.

Patriarchal constraints have undoubtedly paved the way for the disenfranchisement of women over the course of centuries and the decay of the environment can, in part, be directly linked to these constraints.

For years, women have been deemed inferior to men in all walks of life and this is only exacerbated by the unequal distribution of resources - whether it be land, capital, or education - which undoubtedly favours men over women.

Women in Pakistan are significantly affected by the flash floods which plague the South Asian country. Photo: BBC.

The patriarchy and its tentacles can be held directly responsible for the oppression of marginalised groups: women, people of colour, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the working class among others.

Since time immemorial, patriarchal norms have shaped society and dictated who should be at the centre and who should be at the periphery.

Men have systematically deemed women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community as inferior, and white men have historically oppressed people of colour and members of the working class.

The patriarchy can also be held responsible for environmental degradation, as the patriarchy, coupled with capitalism, created and is now exacerbating the climate crisis.

Capitalism strongly advocates for modernisation and industrialisation, and this is negatively affecting the environment.

Deforestation for the purpose of construction and pollution from factories and other industrial plants are speeding up global warming for the sake of economic advancement, and these have a patriarchal dimension due to their aggressive natures.

According to the United Nations, climate change disproportionately affects women

Oppression, much like doctrines of social justice, is intersectional. When individuals or groups are oppressed in more than one manner, their oppression becomes intersectional and more difficult to combat.

Women, as a result of the gender pay gap, as well as the structural inequity they have been forced to endure for years, are more dependent on the environment than their male counterparts. This is especially true in the developing world where women rely largely on the environment for both income and resources.

In 2016, statistics showed that around the world, women earned only approximately 76.5% of the amount earned by men, and this figure was even lower in the developing world.

Due to the disparity, women will not be in possession of sufficient amounts of money to fend off the impending issue of climate change, and will face far more challenges than men in their social classes.

Ecofeminism by Maria Miles and Vandana Shiva

Pioneers of ecofeminism in the modern era, Maria Miles and Vandana Shiva, have put forth criticisms of the ways in which the environment is treated today, explaining the links between climate change and the patriarchy.

Ecofeminism is a seminal text which has shaped ecofeminist movements ever since its publication. The book focuses largely upon the advancement of ecofeminism and how it can be integrated into broader discourses of feminism, which it states is linked to political and economic issues faced by women around the world.

Ecofeminist movements make use of the tenets put forth to tackle problems in the manner suggested by the authors.

Although only formally emerging in the late twentieth century, women have been protecting the environment for years, drawing links between nature and femininity. Photo: MR Online.

Ecofeminism attempts to confront two forms of oppression simultaneously by equally emphasising both environmentalism and feminism, and striving to eradicate both climate change and gender inequality.

Feminism as an ideology draws strongly upon the ethics of care whereas masculinity focuses almost entirely on domination above all else.

Instead of exploiting the environment, an idea popular among those advocating for male domination and capitalist hegemony, ecofeminism calls for all to treat the environment with care. This will ideally ripple outwards, resulting in women and other marginalised communities being afforded the same treatment.

Women farmers in KwaZulu Natal protesting the impacts of climate change on their livelihood. Photo: BBC.

Parallels can be drawn between ecofeminism and socialism

Understanding the links between patriarchy and capitalism will allow for an understanding of the links between patriarchy and climate change, and this is imperative to the ideology of ecofeminism.

Both the patriarchy and capitalism profit off of environmental degradation and the oppression of marginalised communities, and both the patriarchy and climate change are required to keep capitalism afloat and further oppress marginalised communities.

People of colour are significantly more affected by climate change. In order to tackle this issue, it is imperative that ecofeminism is not only non-racist but anti-racist.

Over the course of history, people of colour have suffered grave injustices at the hands of predominantly white colonialists and slave drivers, many of whom pillaged developing countries for their resources thus furthering the agenda of developed countries while leaving others to fall behind. During the industrial era, Western countries developed exponentially, largely unhindered.

Now, as countries in the global South attempt to move up the ladder, they are stopped by policies implemented to slow down climate change. This has resounding effects on the general population of these countries and affects the economic advancement of people of colour.

It cannot be denied that racism and climate change go hand in hand and have for years.

In developing an anti-racist dimension, ecofeminism will be more accepting of marginalised groups and individuals, and in doing so will assist in highlighting their struggles.

Ecofeminism is, at its core, an all-encompassing ideology accepting of all, despite this not always being the case. Although ecofeminist movements are largely dominated by white voices, there is room for women of colour and it is vital that they enter into the movements and represent the communities to which they belong and their interests.

An observation of the consistent environmental decay and the growing disparity between genders points to only one conclusion: transformation is needed and it is needed now.

Instead of the environment being commandeered by deeply masculine ideals, a more feminist approach must be considered.

What would this look like?

Instead of countries and conglomerates competing for domination over the environment, they would strive to protect it and allow for it to thrive, unhindered by capitalist ventures. The preservation of the environment would be emphasised and the principles of environmental conservation would be upheld.

If we are to slow down environmental degradation and bridge the gender divide all at once, ecofeminism is essential.

It has been close to 50 years since ecofeminism was first introduced and although the ideals of ecofeminism have not been widely accepted and absorbed, it is vital that they be introduced into mainstream environmental and feminist discourse in years to come.