Examples Of Ecofeminism

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3.5 Eco-feminism Ecofeminism refers to viewpoints that examine the links between androcentrism (a men-centered perspective) and environmental crisis (Birkeland, 1993). The term ‘ecofeminism’ was introduced by the French feminist Francois d’Eaubonne who urged women of all races to lead an ecological revolution aimed at saving the planet (1974). She noted that such revolution would instigate new gender relations between men and women as well as between humans and nature. Eco-feminism is a very diverse standpoint however it is agreed by all eco-feminists that the western domination of ‘women’ and ‘nature’ as conceptually connected (Twine, 2001). Basically, eco-feminists are unified in exploring the link between gender oppression and environmental…show more content…
Janet Biehl (1991) finds the implications of an ethics based on biological attributes such as caring or nurturing to be devastating for women. To eco-feminists, feminist tendencies of caring and nurturing have probably been so long-standing and so extensive, and ethics can be grounded on the link that is there between women and nature. Furthermore, Archambault (1993) noted that an ethic based on a fixed female 'nature' is limiting because it does not leave room for development since women are only restricted to their nurturing role without any hope of transcending it (as cited by Mayer.…show more content…
Eco-feminists claim that neither a movement aimed at liberating women nor the one to end the abuse of nature can never fulfill its goal without taking the other into consideration. The paper finds such claims as simply false: Indeed the goals of feminism can be fulfilled without fulfilling those of ecology. Likewise, the goals of ecology can be achieved without fulfilling those of feminism. Elizabeth Mayer (1994) claimed that “human behaviors can be completely reformed; they can modify their behavior and daily practices that inflict harm on nature”. For example, we can reduce electricity usage, curb the manufacture of toxic chemicals and implement one hundred percent recycling programs on a society-wide scale to the point that there is certainly be no more disposable diapers. According to Mayer (1994), we could achieve these ecological friendly measures without really liberating women. Indeed if the claimed feminine roles are observed in the implementing these changes, women's lives could actually be made worse. Women would find themselves performing the feminine role of homemaker to implement these changes for example women would do all the sorting and preparing to recycle; they would perform household chores without the help of electronic appliances and

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