Ecofeminism is the process of removing the systematic hierarchy our society has in place. Ecofeminist view feminism in a more environmental perspective with connections to nature.

“Feminism is a movement to end sexism,which is linked to nature, therefore the liberation of women requires the liberation of nature (and vice versa) Understanding the links between sexism and naturism is crucial as we need to build theory and create practice.” 

Initially when looking into Ecofeminism I didn’t quite understand how nature has anything to do with feminism and how that correlation could solve anything. But after reading “Ecofeminist Thought and Practice”, written by Bruna Bianchi, I came to understand that this all comes back to our ways of thinking. If we removed our view of domination and the set of people that are at the top of our hierarchy we can subsequently remove all the social barriers. Society is full of people who fail to acknowledge the power and importance of women. Bianchi affirms that; “Reproducing and protecting human life in collaboration and harmony with nature is what women have been doing since time immemorial, an unacknowledged task, naturalised, made invisible, slavish and servile,”(2) Bianchi is implying that women are taken for granted for their role in nature since the end of time, the fact that women create human life is normalized and overlooked. Women are just viewed as baby makers but not acknowledged for their great roles as nurturers and mothers. Bianchi states that; “feminist, pacifist, antinuclear, animal welfarist and environmentalist – increasingly professed an awareness that the ideology justifying oppression on the basis of race, class, gender, sexuality or species is the same as that which sanc-tions dominion over nature- women’s movements that spontaneously grew all around the world revealed the link between the health and the lives of women and the destruction of nature” (4).  Womanhood is viewed as a direct link to nature according to Bianchi, a womens health is negatively affected then nature is directly affected as well. Ecofeminists is feminism in connection with nature and making women and nature as one, this is one branch of feminism. This holistic approach relates women to the environment because it is acknowledging the great effect that nature has on not only women but humans as a whole. Although we may not all see a direct correlation between humans and nature, the environment we reside in or was raised in will always affect us in the way we think or act in our adult lives. Therefore we should all have some sort of respect and appreciation for nature because it is impactful to our lives. In order to be one with ourselves and have appreciation for all people we must find appreciation within our environments. Griffin affirms that; “I know I am made from this earth, as my mother’s hands were made from this earth, as her dreams came from this earth and all that I know, I know in this earth”(227), therefore bringing the idea that women and nature are one full circle.Warren is in agreeance with ecofeminism after affirming that; “Women are often described in animal terms (e.g., as cows, foxes, chicks, serpents, bitches, beavers, old bats, pussycats, cats, bird-brains, hare-brains). Nature is often described in female and sexual terms: nature is raped, mastered, conquered, controlled, mined. Her “secrets” are “penetrated” and her “womb” is put into the services of the “man of science.” “Virgin timber” is felled, cut down”(5). Warren sees how women and nature can be considered as one.

Work Cited:

Bianchi, Bruna Ecofeminist Thought and Practice: Degrowth, 2016 Print.