S.K.

SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF
ARTS, COMMERCE & SCIENCE

TOPIC : ECO FEMINISM

Name of the Student : Shubham Vishal Nighot

Roll No. : 425
STD : F.Y.B.Com
Class : D
Subject : F.C. Project
Topic : Eco Feminism
Sem : Sem II
Year : 2021-2022

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 INDEX

Sr. No. Particulars Page No.

1. Introduction 2

2. i) Need And Importance 5

ii) The Growing Importance Of Ecofeminism 6

i) Why Ecofeminism? Why Now? Examples Of Ecofeminist
3. 7
Perspectives
ii) The Empirical: Reproductive And Child Concerns 8

iii) Four Main Ecofeminist Principles: 9

iv) Modern Science And Ecofeminism 11

4. Research

Major Critiques 13
Who Are Today’s Ecofeminists? What Are They Doing? How To Get
16
Involved
5. Conclusion 17

6. Reference 18

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 INTRODUCTION

Ecofeminism is a branch of feminism and political ecology. Ecofeminist thinkers draw

on the concept of gender to analyse the relationships between humans and the natural
world. The term was coined by the French writer Françoise d'Eaubonne in her book Le
Féminisme ou la Mort (1974).
Ecofeminist theory asserts a feminist perspective of Green politics that calls for an
egalitarian, collaborative society in which there is no one dominant group. Today, there
are several branches of ecofeminism, with varying approaches and analyses, including
liberal ecofeminism, spiritual/cultural ecofeminism, and social/socialist ecofeminism
(or materialist ecofeminism). Interpretations of ecofeminism and how it might be
applied to social thought include ecofeminist art, social justice and political philosophy,
religion, contemporary feminism, and poetry.

Ecofeminist analysis explores the connections between women and nature in culture,
economy, religion, politics, literature and iconography, and addresses the parallels
between the oppression of nature and the oppression of women. These parallels include
but are not limited to seeing women and nature as property, seeing men as the curators
of culture and women as the curators of nature, and how men dominate women and
humans dominate nature. Ecofeminism emphasizes that both women and nature must
be respected.
Though the scope of ecofeminist analysis is dynamic, American author and
ecofeminist Charlene Spretnak has offered one way of categorizing ecofeminist work:
1) through the study of political theory as well as history;

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2) through the belief and study of nature-based religions;
3) through environmentalism.
Ecofeminism is an ideology and movement that sees climate change, gender equality,
and social injustice more broadly as intrinsically related issues, all tied to masculine
dominance in society. Specifically, ecofeminism holds that most environmental issues
can be traced back to the global prioritization of qualities deemed masculine
(particularly the ones some would regard as toxic, like aggression and domination) and
those in power who embody those attributes.
Ecofeminism also calls attention to the fact that women are disproportionately affected
by environmental issues. According to one report from the United Nations, because
women worldwide typically hold less monetary wealth and rely on the natural
environment more, they are more likely to be displaced by climate change and have to
travel farther for resources, like water, as dry seasons extend. Research shows women
are also more greatly affected by radiation than men. One study has even suggested
some men may have internalized aversions toward environmentalism, as it could be
perceived as feminine.
There are several sub-branches of this movement, including vegetarian ecofeminism,
spiritual ecofeminism, and materialist ecofeminism. But at their root, they all assert that
masculine dominance has led to a disconnect between nature and culture, which has
adversely affected marginalized groups as well as nature itself.
Feminism, in all its waves, has experienced evolutions and resurgences since it
formally began in the mid-1800s. As climate change awareness and subsequent
activism rose in recent decades, feminists began to identify the ways in which the
movement for gender equality and the movement for environmental protection are
related. The term "ecofeminism" was coined by French feminist Françoise d'Eaubonne
in 1974. According to her, the disenfranchisement and oppression of women, people of
color, and the poor are intrinsically linked to the degradation of the natural world, as
both arose as a result of patriarchal dominance.
Over the years, many more have explored the sentiment behind ecofeminism—and
begun advocating for it. Women such as Vandana Shiva, founder of the Research
Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology, and Carolyn Merchant, author of
Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution, are just two
prominent names within this movement since its inception. Some other names of note
include Val Blumwood, Greta Gaard, and Susan Griffin, just to name a few.
It's been nearly 50 years since ecofeminism was formally introduced. Nowadays, even
where the word itself is not used, the principles of ecofeminism are interwoven into the
modern-day climate change movement among those who actively advocate for
equitable change for people and the environment.

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 NEED AND IMPORTANCE

Carol J. Adams has published several well-known works on human and nonhuman
relationships, including The Sexual Politics of Meat and Neither Man nor Beast. In
1997, she wrote the essay, “‘Mad Cow’ Disease and the Animal Industrial Complex:
An Ecofeminist Analysis.” Adams bases her article on ecofeminist work by Karen J.
Warren, who writes:
“(i) there are important connections between the oppression of women and the
oppression of nature;
(ii) understanding the nature of these connections is necessary to any adequate
understanding of the oppression of women and the oppression of nature;
(iii) feminist theory and practice must include an ecological perspective; and
(iv) solutions to ecological problems must include a feminist perspective.” Adams
begins her article by describing the possible link between Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). BSE, or “mad cow”
disease, was first identified in cattle in Britain in 1985, but it was not until 1996 that the
British government announced the possibility that a disease could manifest itself in
humans as vCJD. Adams explains that “part of the motivation for writing this essay was
the anger and horror I felt in response to the entire crisis as it unfolded after March 20,
1996. The mad cow crisis highlighted the glaring indifference regarding the lives of
other animals who have been ontologized as usable. What was new in the mad cow
crisis was not this ontology but the unquestioning adherence to it”.
Firstly, Adams asks why the term “mad cow” is used as an alternative name for BSE.
She explains how a female cow’s reproductive labor enables the production of milk for
human diets. Furthermore, she is clear that the disease is unable to manifest itself
without a “working” dairy cow because only these cows are allowed to live long
enough for the symptoms of BSE to materialize. Male calves, who offer no value in the
production of milk, are sent to slaughter at a younger age thereby entering the meat
chain. Adams describes how the dairy cows that contract the disease are already “so
degraded [through the exploitation of their reproductive labor] that their further
degradation by the disease—and the popular title given the disease—functions as
confirmation of their degraded status” (32). Moreover, the British cultural use of the
term “mad cow” denotes a hysterical woman. For Adams, meat consumption is
gendered and often sexualized. For example, advertisements and menus are made to
appeal to male consumers by using terminology such as “best breasts” or “best thighs.”
Meanwhile women are animalized as they are often depicted either on all fours or in
positions which are animal-like. In other words, the use of the “mad cow” metaphor
illustrates the “oppositions between the hysterical female and a nationalist male
beefeater identity: the uncontrollable and violable female, the controlling and powerful
beefeater”.

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 THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF ECOFEMINISM

There are countless ways of viewing the environment. In modern societies, it is

important to consider the ways in which we connect with nature as industrial practices
move us away from the earth and as biodiversity is lost. Pollution is on the rise, and
people all over the world are suffering the consequences of projects constructed in the
name of progress. Ecofeminism offers a way of thinking and organizing ourselves by
encouraging interconnectedness with our environment and addressing the subjugation
of women and marginalized peoples. As a result of this kind of thinking and organizing,
new human and environmental connections can be made with a broader perspective,
involving less overt social recognitions. Categorizing women and subjugated peoples
with the environment allows for the recognition of social and environmental injustices
from a unique and often forgotten perspective, which in turn allows for solidarity and
solace.
The central tenet of ecofeminism is that social and environmental issues are not
separate, that the causes for the mistreatment of women, people of color and the
environment stem from the same place. Therefore, from an ecofeminist perspective, it
is best to view all of these issues collectively.
Ecofeminism puts forth the idea that life in nature is maintained through cooperation,
mutual care and lovei. It is an activist and academic movement, and its primary aim is
to address and eliminate all forms of domination while recognizing and embracing the
interdependence and connection humans have with the earth.

The Roots and Flowering of the Ecofeminist Movement :

Ecofeminism, “a new term for ancient wisdom,” developed out of various social
movements: the feminist, peace and ecology movements in the late 1970s and early
1980s.ii According to many adherents to ecofeminist philosophy, French writer
Francoise d’Eaubonne coined the term ecofeminism in 1974 to demonstrate the
potential for women to make significant contributions to an ecological revolution.iii
The term was popularized through its use in protests against environmental destruction.
According to Charlene Spretnak:
Ecofeminism grew out of radical or cultural feminism, which holds that identifying the
dynamics behind the dominance of male over female is the key to comprehending every
expression of patriarchal culture with its hierarchical, militaristic, mechanistic and
industrialist forms.
We [ecofeminists] support and join our sisters fighting for equal pay, for battered
women’s shelters, for better child care, and for all the efforts to stop the daily
exploitation and suffering of women. But we see those efforts as bandages on a very
unhealthy system.vii
Curing the unhealthy system, rather than just patching it up, allows for a more
sustainable future.

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 Why Ecofeminism? Why Now? Examples of Ecofeminist Perspectives
Given that the subjugation of women and nature is a social construct, not a biological
determinant, these relationships have the potential to change. Ecofeminism provides a
forum for this change. With burgeoning environmental destruction and historically
oppressive power structures, it is important to examine closely alternative solutions to
the woes of our communities, land and the earth itself.
While ecofeminists have made many connections between women and nature, the three
ties that most strongly bind them are empirical, the conceptual and epistemological.
Empirical data supports the notion that women often bear the responsibility of feeding
and caring for their children while maintaining a household. In poorer countries
especially, these duties make women and their children more vulnerable to the effects
of environmental deterioration as they desperately search for basic resources with little
to no financial and communal support.
Conceptually, women are associated either culturally or symbolically with the earth:

The claim is that dualistic conceptual structures identify women with femininity, the
body, Earth, sexuality and flesh: and men with masculinity, spirit, mind and power.
Dualisms such as reason/emotion, mind/body, culture/nature, heaven/Earth, and
man/woman converge. This implies that men have innate power over both women and
nature. This dualistic structure was championed in the Greek world, perpetuated by
Christianity, and reinforced later during the scientific revolution.
Finally, the epistemological connection results from the theoretical connections
between women and nature; this approach suggests that because women are most

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adversely affected by environmental problems and generally associated with nature,
they are in an epistemological privileged place.xvii This means women are in a position
to facilitate the creation of practical and intellectual ecological paradigms.
The Empirical: Reproductive and Child Concerns

In addition to the social abuse and stratification women suffer under patriarchy, as
sustainers/creators for/of new life and generally thought to be natural nurturers, women
are more susceptible to biological problems accompanying a polluted environment.
One ecological impact on women affects child bearing. Too often, toxins in the air, soil
and water have detrimental consequences for women and children; birth defects,
disease, miscarriage and infertility are among the possible outcomes of a compromised
environment. Furthermore, children may suffer after ingesting elevated levels of
harmful chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), PBBs (polybrominated
biphenyl) and dioxins in their mothers’ milk.vxiii When a woman’s body holds toxic
levels of such pollutants, both she and her children are at risk and can perpetuate the
problem.

Ecological impacts extend beyond childbirth and infant care. Women (particularly
those in less developed countries) are often responsible for providing basic resources,
like water, food, fuel and healthcare, while men move to urban settings for work.
“Women in the Third World form the base of ecological activism. They are more likely
than men to be tied to their living environment through a deep knowledge of plants
animals and local ecology.”Women, and subsequently children, have become the most
vulnerable to ecological destruction, but they are also seen as being the closest to
nature, making their love and attention towards environmental issues the most plausible
solution for a better future. Recognizing these intersections makes ecofeminism a
valuable lens through which to view the important connections between struggling

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women and children and their environments, as well as an outlet for mutual support and
advocacy.

Four main ecofeminist principles:

1. Both the oppression of marginalized groups and the oppression of nature are
connected by cause.
Patriarchal dominance, which presupposes masculine attributes are more valuable, has
led to the degradation of nature (land and animals), along with the marginalization of
groups, including but not limited to women, children, and people of color. Capitalism
further propels this oppression, as it places value on productivity by any means, and
subsequently does not value many attributes considered feminine, including nature
itself.

2. We must replace our culture of domination with an ethic of care.

"Carolyn Merchant basically says ecofeminism is calling for an ethic of care and an
ethic where decisions are made equitably," professor and ecofeminist scholar Heidi
Hutner, Ph.D., explains to mbg. "When we poison the Earth, we are poisoned, and it all
comes from this history of patriarchal domination where whoever holds the most power
has this right to dominate, control, and exploit everyone else."
Ecofeminism advocates for overhauling this entire masculine system of domination and
exploitation—and replacing it with an ethic of care, an approach to morality grounded
in feminine characteristics of care and nurturing. This approach focuses on human
benevolence and acting in a way that prioritizes care for others.

3. All forms of oppression are unacceptable—and interconnected.

Under ecofeminism, all forms of oppression are not acceptable. For environmentalism
to be all-encompassing, it has to consider all people. Women, people of color, and the
LGBTQ community all face particular issues—and when these issues overlap, their
effects become compounded.
"If you are a person, a community, a family, or even a country that's already facing
many threats, whether that's around health, inequity, whatever the case may be, climate
change layers on and makes all of those threats more intense," Katharine Wilkinson,
author and vice president of Project Drawdown, tells mbg. "In a patriarchal system,
women and girls—particularly women and girls who are poor, women and girls of
color, indigenous women and girls—are already on uneven footing. Layer on climate
change, and those existing vulnerabilities become heightened."
Hutner adds, "With all environmental injustice, ultimately, POC suffer the most.
Particularly women of color."

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Nearly half of the heat-related deaths in New York from 2000 to 2012 were Black
people, for example, and communities of color breathe 38% more polluted air than
white folks on average. But those voices are often left out of the conversation and not
considered with regard to policy, legislation, and environmental improvements. And
yet, the environmental movement grows increasingly white.
"Part of the reason we need intersectionality is because white environmentalism, like
white feminism, just doesn't work. It's not effective. We need compassion, connection,
creativity, collaboration," Wilkinson says.
Environmentalism can't just be about protecting a white suburb from a new
development, for example. It has to address clean water and air in Black communities,
pipelines in Native lands, and so on.

4. Understanding these connections is necessary for equitable change.

In order to make a real, positive impact in both the cases of environmental degradation
and the oppression of marginalized groups, ecofeminism says we have to understand
their links to patriarchal society. Feminism must consider ecological concerns and vice
versa. "It is really critical that we understand the gender dynamics around climate
impacts," Wilkinson adds, "because we need to have strategies and approaches through
adaptation and resilience that respond to those inequities."

5. The people most affected by environmental destruction must be the ones to lead the
movement.
As ecofeminists push for an inclusive care ethic, there's also an emphasis on the
importance of having diverse leadership at the forefront of the movement. In particular,
the people who are most affected by environmental destruction—women, particularly
indigenous women and other women of color—are the ones who are best equipped to
address it and identify the right solutions.
"If what we're talking about is transformation of our economy and society, it's going to
take transformational leadership to get us there. And that looks like leadership that's
more characteristically feminine," Wilkinson says. "When you are close to the problem,
you're necessarily close to the solutions."

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 Modern Science and Ecofeminism
In Ecofeminism (1993) authors Vandana Shiva and Maria Mies ponder modern science
and its acceptance as a universal and value-free system. They view the dominant stream
of modern science not as objective science but as a projection of Western men's values.
[18] The privilege of determining what is considered scientific knowledge and its usage
has been controlled by men, and for the most part of history restricted to men. Many
examples exist, including the medicalization of childbirth and the industrialization of
plant reproduction.
A common claim within ecofeminist literature is that patriarchal structures justify their
dominance through binary opposition, these include but are not limited to:
heaven/earth, mind/body, male/female, human/animal, spirit/matter, culture/nature and
white/non-white. Oppression, according to them, is reinforced by assuming truth in
these binaries, which factuality they challenge, and instilling them as 'marvelous to
behold' through what they consider to be religious and scientific constructs.

Vegetarian Ecofeminism
Main article: Vegetarian ecofeminism
The application of ecofeminism to animal rights has established vegetarian
ecofeminism, which asserts that "omitting the oppression of animals from feminist and
ecofeminist analyses … is inconsistent with the activist and philosophical foundations
of both feminism (as a "movement to end all forms of oppression") and ecofeminism."
It puts into practice "the personal is political", as many ecofeminists believe that "meat-
eating is a form of patriarchal domination…that suggests a link between male violence
and a meat-based diet." During a 1995 interview with On the Issues, Carol J. Adams
stated, "Manhood is constructed in our culture in part by access to meat-eating and
control of other bodies, whether it's women or animals". According to Adams, "We
cannot work for justice and challenge the oppression of nature without understanding
that the most frequent way we interact with nature is by eating animals". Vegetarian
ecofeminism combines sympathy with the analysis of culture and politics to refine a
system of ethics and action.

Materialist Ecofeminism
The key activist-scholars in materialist ecofeminism are Maria Mies and Veronika
Bennholdt-Thomsen in Germany; Vandana Shiva in India; Ariel Salleh in Australia;
Mary Mellor in the UK; and Ana Isla in Peru. Materialist ecofeminism is not widely
known in North America aside from the journal collective at Capitalism Nature
Socialism. A materialist view connects institutions such as labor, power, and property

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as the source of domination over women and nature. There are connections made
between these subjects because of the values of production and reproduction. This
dimension of ecofeminism may also be referred to as "social feminism", "socialist
ecofeminism", or "Marxist ecofeminism". According to Carolyn Merchant, "Social
ecofeminism advocates the liberation of women through overturning economic and
social hierarchies that turn all aspects of life into a market society that today even
invades the womb". Ecofeminism in this sense seeks to eliminate social hierarchies
which favor the production of commodities (dominated by men) over biological and
social reproduction.

Spiritual Ecofeminism/Cultural Ecofeminism

Spiritual ecofeminism is another branch of ecofeminism, and it is popular among
ecofeminist authors such as Starhawk, Riane Eisler, and Carol J. Adams. Starhawk calls
this an earth-based spirituality, which recognizes that the Earth is alive, and that we are
an interconnected community. Spiritual ecofeminism is not linked to one specific
religion, but is centered around values of caring, compassion, and non-violence. Often,
ecofeminists refer to more ancient traditions, such as the worship of Gaia, the Goddess
of nature and spirituality (also known as Mother Earth). Wicca and Paganism are
particularly influential to spiritual ecofeminism. Most Wicca covens demonstrate a
deep respect for nature, a feminine outlook, and an aim to establish strong community
values.
In her book Radical Ecology, Carolyn Merchant refers to spiritual ecofeminism as
"cultural ecofeminism". According to Merchant, cultural ecofeminism, "celebrates the
relationship between women and nature through the revival of ancient rituals centered
on goddess worship, the moon, animals, and the female reproductive system." In this
sense, cultural ecofeminists tend to value intuition, an ethic of caring, and human-
nature interrelationships.

Environmental movements
Susan A. Mann, an eco-feminist and professor of sociological and feminist theory,
considers the roles women played in these activisms to be the starter for ecofeminism in
later centuries. Mann associates the beginning of ecofeminism not with feminists but
with women of different races and class backgrounds who made connections among
gender, race, class, and environmental issues. This ideal is upheld through the notion
that in activist and theory circles marginalized groups must be included in the
discussion. In early environmental and women's movements, issues of varying races
and classes were often separated.
Beginning in the late 20th century, women worked in efforts to protect wildlife, food,
air and water. These efforts depended largely on new developments in the
environmental movement from influential writers, such as Henry David Thoreau, Aldo
Leopold, John Muir, and Rachel Carson. Fundamental examples of women's efforts in

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the 20th century are the books Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and Refuge by Terry
Tempest Williams.
Ecofeminist author Karen Warren lists Aldo Leopold's essay "Land Ethic" (1949) as a
fundamental work to the ecofeminist conception, as Leopold was the first to pen an
ethic for the land which understands all non-human parts of that community (animals,
plants, land, air, water) as equal to and in a relationship with humans. This inclusive
understanding of the environment launched the modern preservation movement and
illustrated how issues can be viewed through a framework of caring.
Major critiques
Essentialism
In the 1980s and 1990s ecofeminism began to be heavily critiqued as 'essentialism'. The
critics believed ecofeminism to be reinforcing patriarchal dominance and norms. Post
structural and third wave feminists argued that ecofeminism equated women with
nature and that this dichotomy grouped all women into one category enforcing the very
societal norms that feminism is trying to break. However the criticism was based on a
category mistake made by those who missed the emerging political critique of
patriarchal ideology.

The ascribed essentialism appears in two main areas:

Ecofeminism demonstrates an adherence to the strict dichotomy, among others,
between men and women. Some critiques of ecofeminism note that the dichotomy
between women and men and nature and culture creates a dualism that is too stringent
and focused on the differences of women and men. In this sense, ecofeminism too
strongly correlates the social status of women with the social status of nature, rather
than the non-essentialist view that women along with nature have both feminine and
masculine qualities, and that just as feminine qualities have often been seen as less
worthy, nature is also seen as having lesser value than culture.
Ecofeminism asserts a divergent view regarding participation in existing social
structures. As opposed to radical and liberation-based feminist movements, mainstream
feminism is tightly bound with hegemonic social status and strives to promote equality
within the existing social and political structure, such as making it possible for women
to occupy positions of power in business, industry and politics, using direct
involvement as the main tactic for achieving pay equity and influence. In contrast,
many ecofeminists oppose active engagement in these areas, as these are the very
structures that the movement intends to dismantle.
Ecofeminist and author Noel Sturgeon says in an interview that what anti-essentialists
are critiquing is a strategy used to mobilize large and diverse groups of both theorists
and activists. Additionally, according to ecofeminist and author Charlene Spretnak,
modern ecofeminism is concerned about a variety of issues, including reproductive
technology, equal pay and equal rights, toxic pollution, Third World development, and
more. Ecofeminism as it propelled into the 21st century became aware of the criticisms,
and in response ecofeminists with a materialist lens began doing research and renaming

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the topic, i.e. queer ecologies, global feminist environmental justice, and gender and the
environment. The essentialism concern was mostly found among North American
academics. In Europe and the global South, class, race, gender and species dominations
were framed by more grounded materialist understandings.

Socialist Feminist Critiques

Social ecologist and feminist Janet Biehl has criticized ecofeminism for focusing too
much on a mystical connection between women and nature and not enough on the
actual conditions of women. She has also stated that rather than being a forward-
moving theory, ecofeminism is an anti-progressive movement for women.The
ecofeminist believes that women and nature have a strong bond because of their shared
history of patriarchal oppression; whereas, the socialist feminist focuses on gender roles
in the political economy. The socialist feminist may oppose the ecofeminist by arguing
that women do not have an intrinsic connection with nature; rather, that is a socially
constructed narrative.
Rosemary Radford Ruether also critiqued this focus on mysticism over work that
focuses on helping women, but argues that spirituality and activism can be combined
effectively in ecofeminism.

Intersectionality
A. E. Kings comments on the relationship between ecofeminism and intersectionality,
arguing that the discipline is fundamentally intersectional given that it is built upon the
idea that patriarchal violence against women is connected to domination of nature.
Simultaneously, Kings warns against the presumption of intersectional thought as a
natural component of ecofeminism, so as not to disregard the distinctive academic
contributions of intersectional feminists.
Feminist thought surrounding ecofeminism grew in some areas as it was criticized;
vegetarian ecofeminism contributed intersectional analysis; and ecofeminisms that
analyzed animal rights, labor rights and activisms as they could draw lines among
oppressed groups. To some, the inclusion of non-human animals also came to be
viewed as essentialist.

Wild animal suffering

Catia Faria argues that the view held by ecofeminists that the largest source of harm to
non-human animals in the wild is patriarchal culture and that the conservation of nature
and natural processes is the best way to help these individuals is mistaken. She instead
contends that natural processes are a source of immense suffering for these animals and

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that we should work towards alleviating the harms they experience, as well as
eliminating patriarchal sources of harm, such as hunting.
Criticisms of ecofeminism.
The biggest criticism of ecofeminism comes back to the idea of essentialism, or "a
belief that things have set characteristics." Some people believe equating women with
nature reinforces the dichotomy of gender norms that feminism sought to avoid.
"Val Plumwood writes about this idea of binary structures and talks about how they're
problematic—and part of this patriarchal structure that's not working," Hutner adds.
"It's the idea that we need to break down all these binaries: man/woman; black/white,
etc."
Nowadays, as more people begin to assert that we each have our own combination of
feminine and masculine qualities, whether we are male or female, this criticism has lost
some of its steam.

The bottom line.

Ecofeminism aims to both empower the disenfranchised and restore the health of nature
on this planet. Hutner has a great deal of information on the topic available on her
website if you're interested in exploring more, in addition to the other ecofeminist
writers listed previously.
And of course, there are tons of things all of us can do in our everyday lives to live
more consciously and compassionately, from what we eat to empowering the women in
our lives.

The Epistemological: Healing a “Lobotomy”

In his essay “How to heal a lobotomy,” Brian Swimme postulates that the patriarchal
mindset of modern, Western culture is comparable to a frontal lobotomy, in that by
only seeing the world through a male-dominated lens, we lose touch with our
surroundings and parts of our brains are rendered useless (virtually removed) from lack
of use. He is a scientist attempting to change the way his field works, confessing that
science – with its insistence on analysis, computation and categorization – can blind
people to the whole reality.
Swimme suggests that scientific data be interpreted in a more holistic way,
encompassing categorically “masculine” traits, such as logic and reason, with typically
“feminine traits,” such as intuition and creativity. Swimme states:
To get knowledge of the parts, we [scientists] had to become partial. But the one-eyed
vision of partial minds is exactly what is killing us. To understand the scientific facts
we need the wisdom of the whole, the wisdom germane to the consciousness celebrated
by ecofeminism.”

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That is to say, science as we know it should not be eradicated, but people with an all-
encompassing attitude toward the earth (ecofeminists, in particular) should also help
interpret data and contribute to the field of science.

Who are Today’s Ecofeminists? What are they doing? How to Get Involved

Currently, ecofeminism has had only budding

effects on the sciences or in the realm of
conservation; largely, ecofeminism is most
easily detected through academia and more
theoretical frameworks. It is still in the
development stage. However, there have
been significant contributions on behalf of
ecofeminist thinkers and writers who have
paved the way for grassroots activism and
helped spread the word about this young
discipline. Popular ecofeminist influences
such as Gloria Orenstein, an author and
professor of topics relating to ecofeminism;
Vandana Shiva, a popular ecofeminist,
philosopher, author and environmental
activist; Maria Mies, a retired sociology
professor and author; Starhawk a writer and
activist; Charlene Spetnak, another author and activist; Karen Warren, a philosophy
professor; and Carol Adams, a prominent author, continue to shape the emergence of
ecofeminism through scholarship, community organizing and international outreach.

While ecofeminist activism, notably in the realm of environmentalism, may be

fledgling, there are various outlets for the kinds of activism that filter strategy and
policy development through this particular lens, and there is always room for
ecofeminist thought in any women’s or environmental movement. Some examples of
ecofeminist groups include:

“Women’s Voices for the Earth” Their mission is to “to eliminate toxic chemicals that
impact women’s health by changing consumer behaviors, corporate practices and
government policies.” They advocate the use of safe cleaning and beauty products, safe
salons and safe chemicals found in various market items. They support the empirical

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ecofeminist connection that women and children are affected most adversely by
environmental stress.
“Women’s Environmental Network” Central to their approach is the belief that women
have the right to information to enable them to make fair choices. They focus on issues
regarding reproductive and women’s health. Their work is done through community
organizing, workshops, national and international conferences addressing government
policy, lobbying, training, education, and empowerment
“EVEonline- Ecofeminist Visions Emerging” EVEonline is a great introductory site to
ecofeminism. They have various articles and information regarding ecofeminist
perspectives and affiliated activist groups.
CONCLUSION

In the 1970s, Indian villagers had founded the Chipko movement, a protest
against deforestation, a copy of an ecofeminist action before the letter. Another
important date is that of a conference entitled "Ecofeminism and Life on Earth" in the
United States in March 1980 after the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident in 1979.
Those present had adopted a report manifesto. between the ecological movements and
the women's movements, between the destruction of nature, militarism, the
discriminations and domination undergone by women. Ecofeminism is a philosophy,
an ethic and a movement born of the conjunction and union of feminist and ecological
currents of thought. According to this movement, notably championed by Vandana
Shiva, who founded a sanctuary of wild and agro-biodiversity in India, where women
have an essential place, there are similarities and common causes of domination and
women's oppression and non-respect of nature, which contribute to environmental
destruction. The term "ecofeminism" seems to have been published for the first time in
1974 by a French feminist, Françoise d'Eaubonne, in a book entitled "Feminism or
death" but her principles have already been stated in 62 by Rachel Carson, in her Silent
spring (silent spring) which, by its impact, contributed to the prohibition of DDT in
the United States, and it is first and foremost in the English-speaking world that this
concept has developed. A common critique of ecofeminism is that the connection it
promotes between women and nature is a form of essentialism. Traditional
feminism is concerned, for example, that ecofeminism can restore women's
confinement to the natural world through patriarchy cunning [insufficient source].
In the 1970s, Indian villagers had founded the Chipko movement, a protest
against deforestation, a copy of an ecofeminist action before the letter. Another
important date is that of a conference entitled "Ecofeminism and Life on Earth" in the
United States in March 1980 after the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident in 1979.
Those present had adopted a report manifesto. between the ecological movements and
the women's movements, between the destruction of nature, militarism, the
discriminations and domination undergone by women. Ecofeminism is a philosophy,
an ethic and a movement born of the conjunction and union of feminist and ecological
currents of thought. According to this movement, notably championed by Vandana
Shiva, who founded a sanctuary of wild and agro-biodiversity in India, where women

17
have an essential place, there are similarities and common causes of domination and
women's oppression and non-respect of nature, which contribute to environmental
destruction. The term "ecofeminism" seems to have been published for the first time in
1974 by a French feminist, Françoise d'Eaubonne, in a book entitled "Feminism or
death" but her principles have already been stated in 62 by Rachel Carson, in her Silent
spring (silent spring) which, by its impact, contributed to the prohibition of DDT in
the United States, and it is first and foremost in the English-speaking world that this
concept has developed. A common critique of ecofeminism is that the connection it
promotes between women and nature is a form of essentialism. Traditional
feminism is concerned, for example, that ecofeminism can restore women's
confinement to the natural world through patriarchy cunning [insufficient source].
REFERENCES

1. https://gradfoodstudies.org/2018/12/11/the-need-for-ecofeminism/
2. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/ecofeminism-history-and-principles
3. https://www.google.com/search?
q=ecofeminism+images&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwib6YP1ioX6AhWayKACHerX
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4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecofeminism#:~:text=Ecofeminism%20is%20a
%20branch%20of,ou%20la%20Mort%20(1974).
5. See Carol J. Adams, The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical
Theory (New York: Continuum, 1990); Carol J. Adams, Neither Man nor Beast:
Feminism and the Defense of Animals (New York: Continuum, 1994).
6. Karen J. Warren, “Feminism and Ecology: Making Connections,” Environmental
Ethics 9, no. 1 (1987), 3–20.
7. Peter Singer and Jim Mason, The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices
Matter (New York: Rodale, 2006).
8. Carol J. Adams, “‘Mad Cow’ Disease and the Animal Industrial Complex: An
Ecofeminist Analysis,” Organization & Environment 10, no. 1 (1997): 26–51.
9. Shiva, Vandana. "Development as a New Project of Western
Patriarchy." Reweaving the World: The Emergence of Feminism, edited by Irene
Diamond and Gloria Ornstein, Sierra Club Books, 1990, pp. 189-200.
10. Oksala, Johanna (Spring 2018). "Feminism, Capitalism, and
Ecology". Hypatia. 33 (2): 216–234. doi:10.1111/hypa.12395. S2CID 149338235.
11. Warren, Karen J. (2015). "Feminist Environmental Philosophy". The Stanford
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