The Global South that includes regions in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, faces many environmental challenges like climate change, deforestation, and pollution. These environmental issues heavily affect women due to their social roles, economic responsibilities, and access to resources. One of the main ways women are affected is through their role as primary caregivers and providers of their household. In many communities in the Global South, women are responsible for gathering water, food, and fuel. “When I was in the capital of Kerala state, I remember some rich people telling me, “You can’t get the maids to come every day out here. They have a house and don’t need to work every day because if they stay home they won’t starve.” “(Shiva 2016) This is important because it reflects the economic and social dynamics that started from disparities in wealth and opportunity. Even though women may have the option not to work every day due to their families’ stability, many others are not as fortunate. This is an example of environmental degradation because these environmental changes can affect the lives of ordinary people, including domestic workers who give themselves more work on top of their duties at home.
One of the main similarities between Western and non-Western ecofeminism is the connection between the oppression of women and the exploitation of the environment. Both argue that patriarchal structures take part in environmental degradation and social injustice. Western ecofeminism shows us how industrial exploitation can lead to ecological harm and risk the health and well-being of women, mainly in marginalized communities. Non-Western ecofeminism to Agarwal is that women in developing countries face unique challenges because of the colonial histories and economic issues. Just by Agarwal’s first few words “Non-Western ecofeminism to Agarwal is that women in developing countries face unique challenges because of the colonial histories and economic issues.”(Agarwal 119) shows us the challenges that women faced in these countries, mainly in the context of non-Western ecofeminism. Some differences are that Western ecofeminism mainly focuses on aspects related to gender and environment that are connected to individualism and the rights of women. Hobgood-Oster shows a perspective of ecofeminism by questioning systems of patriarchy, it shows the interlinked nature of several different social problems. In the text it says, “By confronting systems of patriarchy, ecofeminism broadens the scope of the cultural critique and incorporates seemingly disparate but, according to ecofeminism, radically connected elements.”(Hobgood-Oster 2) On the other hand, non-Western ecofeminism is more context-dependent, recognizing the diverse social, cultural, and economic realities that women face in different regions. Non-Western perspectives often integrate traditional ecological knowledge and communal approaches to land and resources, emphasizing collective action and responsibility. Even Though both articles show the complicated relationship between gender and the environment, Hobgood-Osters article of ecofeminism was more interesting and informative to me. Hobgood-Oster shows ecofeminism as a movement between the abuse of women and the destruction of nature. This helps us understand how the abuse of women and the destruction of nature are more connected than we think.
Agarwal, Bina. “The Gender and Environment Debate: Lessons from India.” Feminist Studies, vol. 18, no. 1, 1992, pp. 119–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3178217.
Dr. Vandana Shiva and Scott London. (2016, February 3). In the footsteps of Gandhi: An interview with Vandana Shiva. Global Research. https://www.globalresearch.ca/in-the-footsteps-of-gandhi-an-interview-with-vandana-shiva/5505135
Hobgood-Oster, Laura. “Ecofeminism: Historic and International Evolution.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: What Is Ecofeminism? Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline
Hi Jeanise. I appreciate your interest in Hopgood-Osters work from a western perspective as that is the one that I have first hand knowledge of living in the West. I think it is important to note that a non-western perspective would be more integral to the overall understanding of the oppression of women and nature since the majority of women affected by it are those in non-western nations. While the western perspective does a good job of raising awareness, the non western perspective of Agarwal opened my eyes to the challenges women face on a day to day basis as a result of the patriarchal and capitalism domination of them as well as nature as experienced specifically in India with regards to the fetching of water (not just in India but many nations in the global south) and how women rely on nature more in these areas than we do in the Western World.