Ecofeminism

The word Ecofeminism is formed from “ecology” and “feminism”. Thus ecofeminism is a term to explain how feminist ideology can be used to discuss ecology issues that are happening in society. According to Lorentzen and Eaton (2002) Ecofeminism is an activist and academic (and also political) movement that concerns connection between domination of nature and oppression of women. In other words, ecofeminism is an ideology that sees domination of nature and exploitation of women as interconnected.

The term “ecofeminism” itself was first introduced by Francoise d’Eaubonne1 in 1974, a France feminist who fought during the third wave of feminism era. In conjuction with feminist movement, ecofeminism grew in late 1970s to early 1980s. At that time, ecofeminism movements were brought to mainstream level by anti-nuclear, enviromental, and lesbian-feminist activists. Since then, many discourses on ecofeminism have been engaged in many conferences. One of them was The “Women and Life on Earth: Ecofeminism in the Eighties” conference which was held at Amherst in 1980.

As mentioned above, ecofeminism sees connections between nature and women oppression. Warren sees that there are at least eight connections between nature and women (1993). Those connections are historical/typically casual, conceptual, empirical/experiental, symbolic, epistimological, political, ethical, and theorical interconnection. However, Lorentzen and Eaton (2002) states women and nature interconnections, which are explored within ecofeminist thoughts and actions, are defined by three only. They claim that the oppression of women and the domination of nature are interconnected empirically, conceptually/culturally/symbolically, and epistemologically.

The empirical connection between women and nature claims that most of environmental problems affect women and men differentially. Women are the ones who receive the more burdens from all of the most parts of environmental problems. Women depend on nature more that men do because they are seemed as closer to nature. When the nature which is the surrounding where the women have some plants on it is destroyed to become some sorts of modern development areas, they will not be able to provide their family with food that they plant by themselves anymore. This is because most of the development policies ignore the importance of women and so that they will not get the benefits from the development.

The second claim is conceptually/culturally/symbolically connection. This connection sees concept of dualism to differentiate women from men. As Ruther mentions that this concept of dualism most probably comes from Western world which once upon a time women of Western world are indeed treated as second-class group to keep them in subordinate level. The concept of dualism itself identifies women as femininity, the body, Earth, nature, sexuality, and flesh, while men are identified as masculinity, mind, heaven, culture, and power. While the mind of men is seemed more important to the society than the body of women, and culture seems more significant to the society than nature, women will remain subordinate. Just like nature itself, which is seen less important than the technology and the development that are applied on it. Therefore, the dominations of nature and women primarily appear as a culturally/symbolically connection.  

The third connection is epistemological which claims that women are more knowledgeable than men. It is because women care about nature and have some special skills to preserve environment which men do not. Therefore when there is something harmful happens to nature, there will be a tendency to appoint women for the curing process or just to give some sorts of ideas how to deal with natural degradation.

However, some ecofeminists also see connection between domination of women and nature from spiritual/religious perspective. As old and traditional believes regard nature as protected by gods/goddesses, and women are believed to always follow the spiritual/religious tradition, women tent to preserve nature as a way of worshiping to the gods/goddesses. Then when it comes to patriarchal religious tradition, the tradition that women carry is seemed less important. Consequently, nature is seemed less important to by the tradition of patriarchal religious.

In line with the importance of the discourse of the ecofeminism ideology and the movements, the people behind the movements are particularly important too. As mentioned above, in the early time of the development of ecofeminism, groups of people such anti-nuclear, enviromental, and lesbian-feminist activists are the ones who spread the ideas. It seems so because of their concerns on feminist and enviromental issues. It is obvious that ecofeminism ideology is a part of feminism ideologies. Therefore the activists themselves can be considered as feminists. And it becomes a discourse when it comes to the people behind the idology of ecofeminism.