(P.C: medium.com)
There is a growing importance of ecofeminism in the twenty first century all over the world. Being an environmentalist and a feminist at the same time, i tend to view the ecosystem in a different way. For me, nature is feminine and i also believe, like many ecofeminism theorists, that there is an intrinsic and extrinsic connection between women and nature. As many ancient philosophers have said that nature resides in women and women reside in nature, it is absolutely true that women are the bearers of what we call “naturalness”. To understand what is ecofeminism, the definition and origin of ecofeminism needs to be understood first.
ECOFEMINISM: WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
Ecofeminism is defined as the branch of the gender studies that views the aspects of environmentalism and the relationship between women and earth as the foundation of its analysis, evaluation and practice. To cut a long story short, ecofeminism tries to understand and link the oppression of environment with the oppression of women and the feminine gender. It would be interesting to know that the ecofeminists try to utilize the study of gender while studying the relationship between humans and the natural world. Ecofeminists are capable anthropologists who search for connection of women and nature in culture, customs, societies, biology and literature. Many ecofeminists believe that it is capitalism that has given rise to patriarchal and paternal forms of oppression on the female gender as well as the nature. The similar states of oppression of women and nature in the hands of capitalists, imperialists and patriarchs have given the rise of the controversial yet intriguing discipline known as ecofeminism. Certain discourses of ecofeminism links nature with the feminine aspects, such as nurturing, caregiving and sensitivity.
(P.C: medium.com)
The central theme of ecofeminism rises from the fact that social and environmental issues are not seperate; rather they are connected to each other. According to Vandana Shiva, a renowned ecofeminist, the emerging socio- economic and socio- political practices including capitalism can be accused for the causes for the maltreatment and subjugation of women, colored and ethnically diverse people and the environment and each oppression has a terrible consequence that harms nature as well. The rise of free- market, crony capitalism has caused a great boom in rapid industrialization harming not only the environment but also subjugating women socio-economically at the same time. Hunger for money and profit is causing corporate houses to destroy forests, exploit women and ethnically diverse people to bring the hollow success in their business ventures. Humans and environment are connected to each other. When one section of the human society are dehumanized and denied their basic rights, it creates a great mess in the world and environmental order. Therefore, ecofeminism is very much relevant in today’s epoch when the world is plagued with scewed gender ratios, female infanticide, unprecedented killing of women in the name of sexual violence, honor and dowry which has a direct and indirect impact on the environment. Multiple gender concepts has manifested itself into different bodily approaches and the society has given separate terminologies for the genders. If one sex is tortured and oppressed that keeps its existence at stake, there will be certain environmental distortions and imbalances. Ecofeminism and the people who study the subject with great enthusiasm and solemnity tries to understand such environmental distortion, studies them and brings out possible solutions, theories and approaches to tackle and eradicate such issues.
CRITIQUE OF ECOFEMINISM
Ecofeminism has certain critiques as most of the social and cultural movements do. The very customary criticism of ecofeminism lies on the roots of its fundamentalism. Ecofeminism brings a notion that a female’s values are more often than not, related to nature. For instance, the female tendency of caregiving and nurturing has similarities with nature’s qualities of providing essentials to the life to survive. However, even if it is true to some extent, there is a hegemony that makes us think sometimes that “men” are traditionally “not the givers” and “do not possess or cannot possess such basic feminine qualities” that is highly built on the patriarchal notions. As an aspiring journalist and a communicator of gender issues in the society, i have always opted for a gender neutral society. Ecofeminism, according to me, must evolve itself and see the feminine gender not a “biological concept” but as a “universal concept” that can be present into any bodily gender, that can be applied to male, female and transgender alike. Again, i would echo the fact that femininity, motherhood and caregiving is a concept which can be gender neutral. So, ecofeminist concept must also break its patriarchal shackles to stand apart from the other socio- cultural movements.
MY VIEW AS AN ECOFEMINIST
As an ardent environmentalist, i believe that ecofeminism is an ancient and an archaic concept. It would be interesting to know that there is an ancient and congenial link between females and agriculture which the mainstream society does not pay attention to. According to many feminist anthropologists, in the prehistoric period that can date back to 8000 B.C.E., women were presumed to have invented agriculture and the art of growing herbs and plants near the caves and the dwelling places of the prehistoric humans. The rationalism behind such presumption is that the menstruating, pregnant and older females who did not have the physical strength to go out and hunt to gather food for the clan often used to spend time around the caves. Likewise, they came in contact with different herbs and plants and agriculture came out of them in accident. This can be the reason why the women from the tribal communities of India whom i have personally interviewed have shown their dexterity in the understanding of herbs and medicinal plants that grow in the nearby forests where they stay.
WHY WOMEN FROM TRIBAL COMMUNITIES ARE IN FOREFRONT OF ECOFEMINISM?
The marginalized tribal women, i believe, have the best knowledge of traditional medicines and natural plant remedies for any kind of health issues. Therefore, i personally believe that there is an intrinsic and archaic connection of nature with that of women. I believe that women should be in the forefront both as ecofeminist activists and the theorists because women are capable (so as men) to understand the emic and etic values of nature and themselves, and how they are dominated and what are the ways by which they can themselves come out from the dominion to build a unique society of compassion and interdependence. Indigenous communities have a long and rich history of struggle to control their own forests, lands and resources and it is founded on the infrastructure of oppression. Struggle and activism of these areas are mainly shown by women. It is because of the division of labor in the forest communities where primary forest activities, such as collecting firewood, looking after farming and cultivation near forests are mainly done by women whereas the men leave for work as migrant laborers in big and small cities. Therefore, the mishaps caused by forest department’s brutalization affects women first, for whom forests are the places of both duty and emancipation. Also, the Adivasi and Dalit women have been historically disenfranchised from the mainstream society and politics. They have faced one of the most brutal exercise of state power over them.
CHIPKO MOVEMENT: THE CRUDEST FORM OF ECOFEMINISM IN INDIA
In 1970, A group of Indian villagers in the himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh formed a group, comprised mainly of women, who sticked to the trees to combat the rampant deforestation carried out by the State for commercial “development” (even though the “development” did not reach the tribals and marginalized). Women of the villages were highly dependent on forests, trees and vegetation. They were the people who carried out day to day tasks with the help of forest resources. Deforestation meant a complete disenfranchisement and incarceration of the right they deserved. The movement was carried out on the principles of “non- violence” and it has remained a remarkable notification of relation of women and nature.
LOOPHOLES IN POLICY
“Many Adivasi women in our village cannot read and write but have brilliant knowledge of every single tree in the forests. They know what is needed for household purpose, consumption, medicinal and health benefits and maintaining ecodiversity. How can they understand the policies drafted by the government in English?” Sunita Kanko, a 30 year old Adivasi teacher in a village of Jharkhand pointed out the biggest issue of government policies; how it systematically removes marginalized from the periphery through linguistic divisions, just as what Brahmins used to do with the deprived Untouchables- by framing laws in Sanskrit and making it impossible for them to comprehend it. The government of India has a Brahmanical problem which can be equated with Colonial hangover. India, being a country of diverse linguistic (and indigenous linguistic) communities, it is shameful from the part of the state to impose a foreign language spoken by the bourgeoise of India, on even to the groups that are deprived of basic education. Also, half of the legislations on these issues are either not fully implemented or followed up, leading to massive political and economic corruption by middlemen. Situations are even worse than we imagine!
The activists, journalists and environmentalists who work on tribal women’s and men’s rights closely with the communities must be given a platform to give their opinions regarding the condition of these people and how it can be improved through policy building. However, i also hope for a gender neutral society that would not view ecofeminism as “women’s issues”, rather, it should view the movement as a universal concept that surpasses bodily gender associations.
References:
Feminisminindia.com.(2019). Available at: https://feminisminindia.com/2019/10/29/is-ecofeminism-relevant-today/
James, B., 1996. Is ecofeminism relevant?. Agenda, 12(29), pp.8-21.
Gaard, G., 2017. Critical ecofeminism. Lexington Books.
Shiva, V. and Mies, M., 2014. Ecofeminism. Zed Books Ltd..
Scroll.in.(2018). Available at: https://scroll.in/magazine/875823/women-are-the-guardians-of-the-forest-so-why-does-india-ignore-them-in-its-policies
Oaklandinstitute.org.(2019). Available at: https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/blog/dalit-and-adivasi-women-forefront-forest-rights-movement-india
Indiatoday.in.(2018). Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/chipko-movement-anniversary-chipko-andolan-1197881-2018-03-26