SSS201 Social and Environment Issues

Ecofeminism
Importance
Discuss how Ecofeminism is important as a theoretical perspective and
discuss how it uncovers the often invisible relationship between
gender, capitalism, and the environment.

Mvana, Asisipho, (Ms) (s216063698)

3-15-2022
 Declaration of academic integrity

Student Name: Asisipho Mvana

Student number: 216063698

Module Name and Code: Social and Environmental issues

Date: 15 March 2022

• I am aware of the Nelson Mandela University policy regarding the Promotion of Academic
Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism.

• I understand what plagiarism is and I know that it constitutes unacceptable academic

behavior.

• I declare that the work that I am submitting herewith is my own work. In so far as I have
made use of other people’s work, it has been duly acknowledged and properly referenced in
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• I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone, to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.

SIGNATURE: …
AO.Mvana…………………………………………………………………….
Introduction

Ecological feminism is a term that has been coined by sociologists, scholars, and
professionals as a way of explaining how women along with nature have been relegated to
the bottom of a hierarchical system. One which is created by patriarchy, a system that
devalues women and nature. This disquisition purports to define and explain what is meant
by the term ecofeminism as well as ascertain the importance of ecofeminism as a tool to
advocate against the subjugation of women and nature. furthermore, it seeks to determine the
nature of the relationship between gender, capitalism, and the environment. The primary
inquiry would thusly be how these factors have an impact on ecofeminism. Maria Mies,
Vandana Shiva, Ariel Salleh, and Karen Warren are all ecofeminist advocates through their
writing they explain the discourse of ecofeminism how gender and capitalism play a critical
part in this discourse shows that ecology is a feminist issue. Here is a quote by Susan Griffin
in her feminist literature

“He says that woman speaks with nature. That she hears voices from under the earth. That
wind blows in her ears and trees whisper to her. That the dead sing through her mouth and
the cries of infants are clear to her. But for him, this dialogue is over. He says he is not part
of this world, that he was set on this world as a stranger. He sets himself apart from woman
and nature.” (Griffin, 2000)

Ecofeminism

According to Howell (1997), Ecofeminism was coined by French feminist Françoise

d’Eaubonne’s in 1970. Ecofeminism is an amalgamation of the two words, ecology, and
feminism. Ecology refers to the study of the relationship of organisms in a given
ecosystem(environment). On the other hand, feminism refers to the movement of gender
equality, In general, feminism can be seen as a movement to put an end to sexism, sexist
exploitation, and oppression and to achieve full gender equality in law and practice. Women
having been relegated to the bottom of the hierarchy at the same level as nature, thus find
themselves along with nature both dominated by a system called patriarchy. Patriarchy
broadly refers to the system of social, economic, political, and institutionalized domination of
women by men. (Nash, 2009)
The system, therefore, purposefully excludes women from enjoying full participation in
socio-economic and political life. (Nash, 2009) Women’s reasoning and thinking faculties are
alleged to be different from those of men, in that men are said to be more logical, and well
reasoning. Conversely, it is alleged that women are emotional and nurturing. these perceived
differences are some of the reasons why women are thought to be different from men. At the
same time, women are more like nature, words like fertile are used when describing a
woman, and the same word when describing the fertility of the soil in nature. The value
opposition hierarchy is a system that puts women in this position and the environment,
women are not considered as high as men due to their social status in society (Ecofeminism:
A Global Crisis, 2015). Masculinity is more valued than femineity, women are opposites of
men, in the sense that women’s rights have been so low that men created laws that required
women to ask for permission to regarding their bodies like reproductive rights.

This position that women find themselves in thus makes women more vulnerable to
environmental issues caused by the capitalistic patriarchal systems. Women in the third
world/ developing nations are even more vulnerable as they are highly dependent on the
environment to meet their daily needs, while simultaneously having to take care of the
household while their husbands have to go and work. They have to fetch water and take care
of the crops to feed their family. Ecofeminism is a theoretical perspective that advocates for
both women and the environment. It is thusly unquestionable that when the environment is
compromised, so will women, particularly those that are in the rural areas, who depend
primarily on the environment for survival. There is a distinct overlap between the
environment and women. There is environmental exploitation and gender oppression.
Environmental exploitation is done through capitalism when mass production uses raw
materials like wood from the forests and coal instead of using a renewable energy source.

Gender

The third wave of feminism has introduced a more personal approach to women’s rights,
especially reproductive rights giving women the choice to do what they please with their
bodies. Women have been inferior to men and they have always been oppressed feminism
comes as a tool to emancipate women from the domination of men. In natural domination and
gender domination, patriarchy can take two forms: weak correlation and strong correlation.
Natural phenomena play little role in the weak correlation (Ling, 2014). The roots of natural
dominance and gender dominance can be found.in patriarchy, i.e. a culture that opposes
nature is also a culture that is hostile to women. The strong patriarchy makes nature and
gender interchangeable. Women are more in touch with nature, especially in developing
countries, you find women in farming more than you would find men meaning women are
more vulnerable to environmental issues like draughts, floods, and storms. Women and girls
spend more time taking care of the households in a rural area you find them fetching water
and having to work long distances making them prone to waterborne disease than males
(Ecofeminism: A Global Crisis, 2015). Therefore gender differences play a crucial role in
making sure that women are still oppressed by the patriarchal system.

Ecofeminism vs Capitalism

Mies and Shiva (1993) explain how capitalism is the reason for the continuous subjugation of
women and nature by exploring the reductionist world view. women and nature’s domination
is violent and it violates the integrity of women. According to Mies and Shiva’s view, the
reductionist view is responsible for this violence. When the industrial revolution started its
effects were not only felt by laborers that worked in mines and factories, but its effects were,
furthermore, felt by women and nature. For the industrial revolution to thrive mass
production needed to happen and replace the workforce with machinery. This mass
exploitation of the environment meant that land degradation was at its peak, pollution was
perpetually on the rise resulting in a negative impact on the environment as well as on the
people, particularly women, who have been purposefully excluded from the economic
system.

Patriarchal-Capitalism reduces women to non-laborer status according to Mie and Shiva

because their work abilities are not recognized as laborers, they are passive. “What the
industrializing vision sees as nature is other people's social labor that it wants to denigrate by
defining it as non-labor, as biology and nature, and defining both nature and women's work as
passive”. (Mies & Shiva, 1993). The housewifization of women where the women’s role is
seen to be in the household is not considered as labor (Howell, 1997). According to
Khankhoje (1986), the primary problem is that women are dependent on men. they are
integrated into the growth of capitalism as cheap labor and consumers. It is worth noting that
women used and are still earning less than men, women in the workplace and even outside
the workplace are not valued as important. Ecofeminism comes as a tool, to address these
issues that women and nature face. To address the sexist approach of who has the knowledge
to address environmental issues. According to Manisha Rao (2012) women need to be more
educated like men, they need more opportunities to become natural resource conservators,
scientists, and lawyers. But training women alone will not solve the environmental issues.
women need to be more involved in the policy-making and ownership of energy-saving
companies.

Conclusion

To conclude Ecofeminism can be used as a tool to emancipate women and nature, using
women as the primary advocator. However, this doesn’t mean that men that are sympathetic
to the movement can not be used. Indeed, Salleh argues that ecofeminism is a movement and
way of thinking centered on the emancipation of all people and beings, which is why it is
gaining traction among environmental justice, ethnic studies, and critical animal studies
experts. Sustainability is incompatible with the prevailing profit- and growth-oriented
development paradigm, as it is for many women and men who are not oblivious to the
realization that we live in a limited environment. therefore I think we need a more
intersectional approach to ecofeminism that not only looks at women as a whole but
understands that there is a difference in women all over the globe. and race and class play a
crucial role in finding a solution. “Domination is neither justified nor inevitable”
(Ecofeminism: A Global Crisis, 2015).
References
Ecofeminism: A Global Crisis. 2015. [Film] Directed by B Elzinga. s.l.: Youtube video.

Griffin, S., 2000. Summary Of The Roaring Inside Her. [Online]

Available at: https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Summary-Of-The-Roaring-Inside-Her-F3AA9C754AR
[Accessed 15 March 2022].

Howell, N., 1997. ECOFEMINISM: WHAT ONE NEEDS TO KNOW. Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science,
1 June, 32(2), pp. 231-240.

Khankhoje, M., 1986. Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale: Women in the International
Division of Labour by Maria Mies. JSTOR, November, 18(2), pp. 317-319.

Ling, C., 2014. Ecological Criticism Based on Social Gender: The Basic Principles of Ecofeminism. CS
Canada, 08 June, 7(1), pp. 67-72.

Mies, M. & Shiva, V., 1993. Ecofeminism. In: Z. B. LTD, ed. Ecofeminism. London: Zed books LTD, pp.
23-35.

Nash, C., 2009. Patriarchy. s.l.:Science Direct.

Rao, M., 2012. Ecofeminism at the Crossroads in India: A Review. Deportate esuli Profughe (DEP), pp.
1-15.