Ecofeminism

Ecofeminism is a social, political, and academic movement that views the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature as being interconnected. For ecofeminists, feminism is an environmental issue, and the environment is a feminist issue. Many social and environmental problems of the late 20th century are seen as an inevitable outcome of “masculine” behavior. The term ecofeminism, or ecological feminism, was coined in 1974 by the French feminist Francoise d'Eaubonne. It is one of the few movements that connect other movements. In addition to the feminist and environmental movements, ecofeminists have extended their analyses to the interconnections among the domination of nature, sexism, racism, and social inequality.

Principles of ecofeminism include the following:

• The domination of women and the domination of nature (as well as other forms of domination such as racism, sexism, and social inequality) are interconnected.
• This domination is justified by a hierarchy that ecofeminists seek to resist on all levels.
• Dualistic thinking, in particular the distinction between culture and nature, supports this domination.
• The central goal is to replace these dominative policies, practices, and philosophies with ones that are not.

The term ecofeminism appears to have been published for the first time in 1974 in Françoise d'Eaubonne's book Le Feminism ou la Mort (Feminism or death). Yet, its underlying principles had already been stated in Rachel Carson's famous book Silent Spring (1962). Other pioneers include Susan Griffin, who made ecofeminism known in the United States; Maria Mies, who did the same for Germany; and Vandana Shiva, who introduced the standpoint to India. In addition to these women, the ecofeminist movement was nurtured by the ideas and writings of Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carolyn Merchant, Irene Diamond, Ynestra King, and Ariel Salleh. Interestingly, ecofeminism departed from spiritual notions with a romantic emphasis on women as protectors of Gaia (mother earth).

Various social movements like the environmental, antinuclear, lesbian-feminist, and peace movements during the late 1970s and 1980s nourished, helped develop, and strengthened ecofeminist ideology, as well as ecofeminist activism. A further inspiration for the growth of ecofeminism—in particular for its academization—was the first ecofeminist conference, titled “Women and Life on Earth: A Conference on Eco-Feminism in the Eighties,” held in March 1980 at Amherst College.

Examples of ecofeminist activism include Nobel Peace Prize–winner Wangari Maathai's formation of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, the main focus of which lies on planting trees to preserve the environment and to improve the quality of life, and India's Chipko (tree-hugging) movement, in which women work together to preserve precious forests for their local communities, for instance.