What is Ecofeminism?

Ecofeminism, a word that is self explanatory. It’s a social issue that has to be considered vital and to find a solution for.

Everyday now we get to hear that Earth is facing global warming, animals going extinct, every now n then there’s a new disease. Why is this? Why living in such advance world we still have to face these serious issues? That’s when nature comes in play. Natures importance is being compromised by dominant system resulting in these outcomes.

Talking about dominancy, rings a bell, a word “Woman”. It’s not just the nature that is being oppressed but woman are oppressed too by the patriarchal society. Also stated by Hobgood-Oster; “These socially constructed oppressions formed out of the power dynamics of patriarchal systems.” Which is needed to be solved. And that is what ecofeminism is. A notion which connects nature and woman.

This image for me has a deep meaning. It not just shows that a women has some kind of connection with this tree but also they both have one thing in common. For me both woman and nature are the roots to the development. Keeping a child in her womb for nine months and watching it develop into an adult. Teaching her child the difference between right and wrong for better society. Roots hold stronger to held tree upright so that it can develop into a fully grown tree without collapsing. Providing food, shelter and so many things for humans. As traditional Marxist feminism theory in Warren’s article suggest that natures job is to fulfill the demands of human. To some extent it is true, but is that the only job of nature? I’d say no. Nature has it’s own balance, disturbing the balance would cause consequences.

Women exploitation is not new. Of course it’s not the same but it still exist. Advertising women’s body, representing women as a sexual object, to fulfill men’s desire, considering women to only bear children and stay in the kitchen are all examples of oppression with women (Warren 2014). Ecofeminist consider racists aspect. There are some racism issues within ecofeminism. Discriminating by color exist in feminist organizations where women with dark colors do not held position for long (Hobgood-Oster 2002).

Before ending my blog I’d like to quote from Hobgood-Oster’s writing which encourage us all to take action, ” Things will not just happen…women must do something” (Gaurd, ed., 3).

Reference

Brendan, and Brendan. “Warren’s Introduction to EcoFeminism.” There It Is Org, 21 Jan. 2014, thereitis.org/warrens-introduction-to-ecofeminism/.

Ecofeminism: Historic and International Developments. users.clas.ufl.edu/bron/pdf–christianity/Hobgood-Oster–Ecofeminism-International Evolution.pdf.

Divinity, Dakota. “Understanding Ecofeminist Activism In The Face Of Global Climate Change.” SLUTMOUTH, SLUTMOUTH, 27 June 2018, slutmouth.org/sluts-new/2018/6/26/understanding-ecofeminist-activism-in-the-face-of-global-climate-change.

“How Feminism Can Do Better in 2019.” Sleek Magazine, www.sleek-mag.com/article/feminism-2019/.