Ecofeminism 101: Women Going Green
Mother Earth, Mother Nature…societies across the globe may believe that God is male, but nature is nearly always personified as female. Perhaps this is because we imagine the earth as a life-giving “being,” just like a mother.
Despite the reverence that some cultures have for the natural world, we haven’t been very kind to our planet. Although climate change, deforestation, pollution, overfishing, and habitat loss are widely recognized as devastating problems by millions of people, powerful politicians and corporations often deny the destruction that humanity has caused to the earth. But the environmental movement isn’t the only group taking up the cause — feminists are taking Mother Nature’s plight seriously, too.
Ecofeminism, a branch of feminism that links feminism and ecology, stems from the belief that the patriarchy has contributed to both the oppression of women and the exploitation of the earth’s natural resources. The term was coined by French writer Françoise d’Eaubonne in 1974. Early ecofeminists began to recognize how industries lead by men — oil, coal, logging, and animal agriculture — were causing irreversible damage to the earth.
These women conceptualized the earth as an oppressed being, which was exploited for the economic and political gain of others. They saw similarities in men’s treatment of the earth and their treatment of women. They began to popularize the concept of “green consciousness” and raise awareness of how environmental issues were connected to many other social justice issues.
Thus, the ecofeminist movement was born. The movement has changed somewhat since its conception. For example, many early ecofeminists viewed women as nurturing healers who were naturally more compassionate towards the planet and animals. However, today this view is regarded as somewhat stereotypical — not every woman is maternal and nurturing — but there is still a grain of truth to this perspective. For instance, women are more likely to be vegan or vegetarian, and some suspect this is because they are more sympathetic and caring towards animals due to the fact that both groups often face abuse.
Ecofeminists are concerned about a variety of feminist issues. They don’t just look at an issue from a feminist or environmental perspective — they explore where these two angles intersect, and how the destruction of the environment specifically makes an impact on women.
One example of such an intersection is the effects of pollution. We all know that polluting the air, water, and soil with harmful or even completely toxic chemicals causes serious damage to the environment. We also know that it can be dangerous for human health — drinking polluted water or breathing polluted air can cause awful reactions and diseases. Just look at areas of China where citizens sometimes have to wear masks to protect themselves from high levels of smog.
But pollution harms everyone equally, right? Not quite.
If a pregnant woman is exposed to air pollution, the fetus could be permanently harmed — air pollution has been shown to affect total fetal brain growth. Furthermore, exposure to high levels of air pollution can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle — and not just for the time she is exposed to these pollutants, but for her whole life. Studies show that exposure to air pollution in a woman’s teenage years can cause her to have irregular periods as an adult.
And then there is the impact on children’s health. Even in 2018, women handle the bulk of childcare and domestic responsibilities, meaning that they are primarily in charge of keeping their kids healthy. In many areas of the world, women have to cook using cookstoves that emit soot-filled smoke. This type of pollution can wreck havoc on a child’s health, from asthma to causing cancer later in life due to the presence of carcinogens in the smoke.
Climate change doesn’t discriminate — or does it? Turns out that women are also more likely to be negatively affected by rising sea levels.
Climate change has resulted in more frequent food shortages, and during times of shortage, women’s health is more likely to suffer than men’s. Women are also more likely to die in the aftermath of a natural disaster — women are less likely to visit relief centers alone, more likely to be poor, and in some cultures, they do not have the chance to learn how to swim.
The ecofeminist movement is likely to grow in the coming years as more and more women get involved in the fight against climate change. Even though “the powers that be” would rather continue pushing fossil fuels and supporting unsustainable systems, women around the world are speaking up and stepping out — just look at climate change expert and journalist Naomi Klein, Sierra Club and Beyond Coal director Mary Anne Hitt, and World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan.
Ecofeminism is an imperfect movement — some have criticized these groups for being exclusionary towards women of color, or for focusing too heavily on a supposed “mystical” connection between women and nature. Critique is important, and the ecofeminist movement must be inclusive to any woman who wants to participate. But it’s clear that no matter what, a true environmental movement needs women to succeed.
