Ecofeminism and Mothering

Ecofeminism and mothering are deeply interconnected in Western ideological constructions of both nature and gender. Ecofeminism as a set of principles emerged in the 1970s with the increased awareness of the connections between women and nature. Françoise d'Eaubonne established the Ecology-Fem-inisme Center in Paris in 1972, and in 1974 she first used the term ecofeminisme. D'Eaubonne addressed the need for an ecological revolution lead by women, which she claimed would establish equality of gender relations and bring an end to the power of one group over another—including the domination of humans over nature. D'Eaubonne linked environmental degradation with patriarchal culture, and believed that a social structure based on feminisme would prevent the destruction of human beings and the planet. D'Eaubonne's feminisme was based upon the ...