Ecofeminism is the study of women's connections to nature and how they inspire particular forms of environmental activism, stewardship, and spiritual attachments to Earth. This entry explores the evolution and key debates within ecofeminist thought, identifying some influential thinkers and suggesting avenues for further exploration. The three main themes within ecofeminism addressed here are (1) patriarchy and the domination of Earth, (2) Earth-centered spirituality, and (3) historical materialism and women's knowledge.

The term ecofeminism often conjures up images of women chaining themselves to logging equipment, yet ecofeminism is far more than an activist and spiritual movement. Ecofeminism emerged as a field of study in the mid to late 1970s, heralded by the publication of a seminal paper by Sherry Ortner and a book by Susan Griffin, ...