Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ecofeminism

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Eco-feminism refers to the political, cultural and economic movements that seeks to establish greater rights and legal protection for women. On the other hand, environmental degradation is about the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. This essay explains eco-feminism and discusses why environmental degradation a feminist issue. This is done by firstly defining eco-feminism, and environmental degradation and lastly giving arguments why environmental degradation a feminist issue supported by relevant examples.
The term ecofeminism was said to be devised by Francoise D’Eaubonne in 1974. According to J Schmonsky (2012) the term was coined to demonstrate the potential for women to make significant …show more content…

It emerged in the mid-1970s alongside second-wave feminism and the green movement. Ecofeminism brings together elements of the feminist and green movements, while at the same time offering a challenge to both. It takes from the green movement a concern about the impact of human activities on the non-human world and from feminism the view of humanity as gendered in ways that subordinate, exploit and oppress women.
Women face social and economic disadvantages which are intensified during times of environmental crisis and disaster (Nicolini, 2015). For example, in regions where periods of drought are becoming longer and more thrilling, girls and women are forced to spend increasing amounts of time collecting water, traveling beyond as water sources become depleted (Nicolini, 2015). This leaves less and less time for girls and women to engage in educational or economic activities outside the home (Nicolini, 2015). Thus, cementing their economic dependence on men, and their confinement to the domestic sphere (Nicolini, …show more content…

In most African countries, women are involved in farming activities, and therefore when the soil that supports arable farming is exhausted, they suffer. When they don’t have good land that would support food crops, they can’t feed their families. In the context of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), where most families are female headed, such a scenario would have an enormous impact. Women are thus connected to Nature to get herbs to treat most ailments. This is a very common practice in most rural areas. Women are the ones that are involved in the health of the family; when the husband or the child is sick, women suffer too because they carry that burden on their