This PPT is based on the Presentation of Semester 3 Submitted to DoE, MKBU. Paper no. 204 Contemporary Western Theory and Film Studies & The topic of this presentation is 'Ecofeminism'.

1. Ecofeminism

2. ● Name: Rajeshvariba H. Rana
● Roll No. : 16
● Enrollment No. : 4069206420220023
● Semester: 3rd
● Paper No.: 204
● Paper Code: 22409
● Paper Name: Contemporary Western Theories and Film
Studies
● Topic: Ecofeminism
● Submitted to: Smt. S.B.Gardi, Department of English, MKBU
● E-mail: rhrana148@gmail.com
● Date: 21 October 2023
Academic Information

3. What is Ecofeminism ?
Ecofeminism, like the social movements it has emerged from, is both
political activism and intellectual critique. Bringing together
feminism and environmentalism, ecofeminism argues that the
domination of women and the degradation of the environment are
consequences of patriarchy and capitalism.
Ecofeminism describes movements and philosophies that link
feminism with ecology.
Women and nature are also united through their shared history of
oppression by a patriarchal society.

4. Term Coined By ?
The term was coined by the French writer
Françoise d'Eaubonne in her book
Le Féminisme ou la Mort (1974).
Ecofeminist theory asserts a feminist
perspective of Green politics that calls for
an egalitarian, collaborative society in
which there is no one dominant group.

5. 2 Types of Ecofeminist Positions
● Radical Ecofeminism
● Cultural Ecofeminism
Radical Ecofeminism Focus the deep connection between patriarchy and the
domination of nature. It Sees women's oppression and environmental
exploitation as interconnected symptoms of a patriarchal culture.
Cultural ecofeminism is a response to the perception that women and nature
have been mutually associated and devalued in western culture. (Merchant)
Explores the roles of women in traditional and indigenous cultures and their
harmonious relationships with the environment.

6. Binary Opposition
Sherry Ortner's 1974 article, "Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture?"
posed the problem that motivates many ecofeminists. Ortner argued
that, cross-culturally and historically women, as opposed to men, have
been seen as closer to nature because of their physiology, social roles,
and psychology.
Male
Culture
Reason
Mind
Female
Nature
Emotion
Body

7. Physiologically, women bring forth life from their bodies,
under- going the pleasures, pain, and stigmas attached to
menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing, while
men's physiology leaves them freer to travel, hunt, conduct
warfare, and engage in public affairs. Socially, childrearing
and domestic caretaking have kept married women close to
the hearth and out of the workplace. Psychologically, women
have been have assigned greater emotional capacities with
greater ties to the particular, personal, and present than men
who are viewed as more rational and objective with a greater
capacity for abstract thinking. (Jaggar)

8. Ecofeminism challenges traditional environmental law.
● Nature as Mother
● Nurturing
● Reproduction
● Owning

9. Vandana Shiva plays a major role in the global ecofeminist
movement.
Feminist activists fighting for environmental justice,
including figures like Vandana Shiva, emphasize that
women and children are especially susceptible to the
harmful effects of environmental hazards. This
advertisement specifically features both a mother and a
child to underscore this point.
The Indian Ecofeminist Discourse

10. What do I mean when I say that everywhere, in every known culture, women are
considered in some degree inferior to men? First of all, I must stress that I am
talking about cultural evaluations; I am saying that each culture, in its own way
and on its own terms, makes this evaluation. But what would constitute
evidence that a particular culture considers women inferior?(Ortner)
Three types of data would suffice:
(1) elements of cultural ideology and informants’ statements that explicitly
devalue women, according them, their roles, their tasks, their products, and their
social milieux less prestige than are accorded men and the male correlates;
(2) symbolic devices, such as the attribution of defilement, which may be
interpreted as implicitly making a statement of inferior valuation; and
(3) social-structural arrangements that exclude women from participation in or
contact with some realm in which the highest powers of the society are felt to
reside. These three types of data may all of course be interrelated. (Ortner)
The Universality of Female Subordination

11. The Chipko Movement, a prominent environmental movement
within the context of ecofeminism, took place in India in the
1970s. The major person associated with this movement is
Sunderlal Bahuguna.
In brief, the Chipko Movement involved local communities,
primarily women, hugging or "embracing" trees to prevent
deforestation. This action was a form of protest against the
government and commercial entities that were cutting down
trees for timber and development. The movement drew
attention to the interconnectedness of environmental and
women's issues, highlighting how women were often the most
directly affected by deforestation and its consequences, such
as the loss of clean water and livelihoods.
Chipko Movement (Hugging Movement)

12. This historical context emphasizes that the
principles and actions of the Chipko Movement are
not merely a modern phenomenon but have deep
historical roots in India, making it even more
relevant in the broader context of environmental
conservation and ecofeminism.
However, not many people know that the original
Chipko Movement dates back to the 18th century
and was started by Rajasthan’s Bishnoi
community. The incident has been etched in the
annals of history for the sacrifice of a group of
villagers, who led by a lady named Amrita Devi, laid
down their lives while protecting trees from being
felled on the orders of the King of Jodhpur. After this
incident, the king, in a royal decree, banned cutting
of trees in all Bishnoi villages. (“What is the Chipko
movement? | What Is News”)

13. Participants of the first all-woman Chipko action
at Reni village in 1974, reassembled thirty years
later.
(Kohli and Singh)

14. Commonly, mass media tends to
use female imagery when portraying
nature.
On a conscious level of memory,
people readily embrace images that
are easily accessible at the forefront
of their minds. This is why nature is
effortlessly and commonly linked
with femininity.
That is the reason that this political
newspaper print advertisement gets
accepted without any question.
Advertisement

15. Movies:
● Mother! (2017), Darren Aronofsky. ...
● Princess Mononoke (1997), Hayao
Miyazaki. ...
● Teeth (2007), Mitchell Lichtenstein.
...
● The VVitch (2015), Robert Eggers. ...
● Soylent Green (1973), Richard
Fleischer. ...
● Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), George
Miller
(List from Google)
Book:
Rape of the Wild: Man's Violence against
Animals and the Earth
● Authors: Andree Collard, Joyce Contrucci
● Publisher : Indiana University Press (22
June 1989)
● Language : English

16. Women frequently have limited access to resources such as education,
healthcare, and financial services. These disparities can make it more
challenging for women to adapt to the impacts of climate change or to
participate in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.
Climate Change

17. Conclusion
Ecofeminism recognizes the intertwined
oppression of women and nature, highlighting
the need for a more equitable and sustainable
world. It calls for a profound shift in societal
values, challenging patriarchy, and advocating
for a harmonious coexistence with the
environment. Ecofeminism offers a holistic
vision for a just and balanced future.

18. Kohli, Svabhu, and Viplov Singh. “45th Anniversary of the Chipko Movement2018.” Google, Google, 26 Mar.
2018, https://www.google.com/doodles/45th-anniversary-of-the-chipko-movement.
Jaggar, Alison M. Feminist Politics and Human Nature. Rowman & Allanheld, 1983.
Merchant, Carolyn. Radical ecology : the search for a livable world. Routledge, 2005.
Ortner, Sherry B. “Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture? Sherry B. Ortner.” UiO,
https://www.uio.no/studier/emner/sv/sai/SOSANT1600/v12/Ortner_Is_female_to_male.pdf. Accessed 21
October 2023.
“What is the Chipko movement? | What Is News.” The Indian Express, 26 March 2018,
https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-the-chipko-movement-google-doodle-5111644/.
Accessed 21 October 2023.
References

19. Thankyou