Feminist political ecology

“Feminist political ecology” examines how power,gender, class, race, and ethnicity intersect with environmental ‘crises’, environmental change and human-environmental relations. Feminist political ecology emerged in the 1990s, drawing on theories from ecofeminism, feminist environmentalism, feminist critiques of development, postcolonial feminism, and post-structural critiques of political ecology. (Sultana, 2020) Specific areas in which feminist political ecology is focused are development, landscape, resource use, agrarian reconstruction, rural-urban transformation (Hovorka 2006: 209), intersectionality, subjectivities, embodiment, emotions, communication, situated knowledge, posthumanism, deconstructing theory-practice dichotomies, ethics of care and decolonial feminist political ecology (Sultana, 2020). Feminist political ecologists suggest gender is a crucial variable – in relation to class, race and other relevant dimensions of political ecological life – in constituting access to, control over, and knowledge of natural resources.

Feminist political ecology joins five gendered areas: knowledge, intersectionality, political economy, environmental justice and grassroot activism. Gendered environmental knowledge includes the importance of local, gender-specific knowledge in managing and understanding environmental issues. Women, especially in rural and indigenous communities, often possess unique ecological knowledge that is crucial for sustainable resource management. Feminist political ecology employs an intersectional lens to shape individuals' experiences with environmental issues. Political economy includes how global and local political and economic structures influence environmental policies and practices, often exacerbating gender inequalities. Feminist political ecology advocates for environmental justice, focusing on the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation and climate change on women and marginalized communities. It calls for equitable access to resources and participation in environmental decision-making processes. Grassroot activism emphasizes the surge in women's involvement in collective struggles over their natural resources.[1]

  1. ^ Rocheleau, Dianne (1996). Gender and the Environment: A Feminist Political Ecology Perspective. New York: Routledge.

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