For forever now, people have constantly associated women with nature. People often describe the earth as “Mother Earth” and often use female pronouns when discussing the earth (her trees, she’s hurting, etc..). In the readings, I can see many connections being made between the oppression of women and nature. For one, Gebara goes into detail about how ecofeminists and intersectional feminists will discuss ideas about the world but while they’re doing this, our world is being destroyed along with women and children. “While all these discussions are going on, the destruction of the Amazon forest, the rain forest, and others continue… lots of paper is being used, lots of trees are being cut down and used by industries, polluting the rivers and the air… lots of women and children are starving and dying with diseases produced by a capitalist system able to destroy lives and keep profit for only a few.” (Gebara). The problem is not talking about these theories, it’s talking about them and trying to understand them while lives are being destroyed at the exact same time. Gebara explains how different groups of women in Latin America are tasking themselves to provide a new order of meaning including marginalized people. “The option for the poor is an option for life. Our goals should be to build a world where poor and marginalized people have a place to live with peace and integrity. We know that without this option we are not building a world with justice and love” (Gebara). We have to respect nature and all living beings or we will never find peace, “we choose to die by our own bad decisions” (Gebara).
In the Speak Truth to Power reading, they explained that women in Africa are the ones who interact with nature on a daily basis. Because of this, the women can tell when their food is full of pollutants and impurities (Maathai). In direct response to these problems, Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, this is meant to encourage farmers to plant “Green Belts”, as it would “stop soil erosion, provide shade, and create a source of lumber and firewood” (Maathai). Today, “the movement has planted over fifteen million trees, produced income for eighty thousand people in Kenya alone, and has expanded its efforts to over thirty African countries, the United States, and Haiti” (Maathai).
I absolutely agree that disempowerment and environmental degradation are behind the material deprivations and cultural losses of the marginalized and the poor. Marginalized groups aren’t able to get resources and things they need to better themselves/their communities and environment because the greater populace is dismissive of them and doesn’t allow people who they view as “below them” to change things for the better.
Works Cited:
Gebara, Ivone. “Ecofeminism: A Latin American Perspective.” Cross Currents , vol. 53, no. 1, 2003. Arts Premium Collection, search-proquest-com.libproxy.umassd.edu/docview/214936990/abstract/1516EEDAA5CD464DPQ/1?accountid=14573.
Maathai, Wangari. “Key Speeches & Articles: Speak Truth to Power.” The Green Belt Movement, 4 May 2000, www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/key-speeches-and-articles/speak-truth-to-power.
Hello,
Nice Blogs and support used from readings.
This topic really allowed me to consider the deeper connections to nature that women have.
Specifically the indigenous women. A lot of their culture and religion relies on the land. When they don’t have the land they lose culture and traditions. This effects their identities directly which has an everlasting in-print on who they are as people.
Hearing the stories of how the Indigenous came together and formed activist groups in order to protect their land makes my heart happy. I feel that everyone deserves their culture freedom.
Thank you ,
Sierra
I definitely agree with you. People often forget how many people worship the land we live on. This actually reminds me of this famous guy on twitter. He made post about how disgusting it was that Indigenous people kill seals and that it should be illegal. He completely ignored the fact that this is apart of their culture and they use every part of the animal. People actually began attacking indigenous individuals because of this persons ignorant and uneducated comment. Like you said, everyone deserves their cultural freedom.
Elizabeth,
I think it’s amazing how far the GBM has progressed in Kenya. I have so much respect for these women who are improving their lives while empowering each other.
I absolutely agree with you! They are so strong and are honestly such incredible inspirations!
Hi Elizabeth,
Our capitalist system and social conditioning is really heart-breaking and abusive when we look at the poor and marginalized people in nations that are being most affected by climate change and deforestation. Many of these people being affected by environmental degradation are women, especially women of color. As we choose to support different causes and organizations, I think we should implement an intersectional ideology and assure that the causes we fight for and the organizations we support are working to help all women and people affected, not just white women, or people within a privileged nation. It’s hard to acknowledge our own role in aiding these oppressive and destructive systems but we must take a hard look at how we are impacting the earth and other people in our own lives and how the people we raise, and influence will impact the earth and other people. You seem very opinionated and passionate about these issues; I wonder if you’ve ever participated in any activism or protest. If you have, I’m sure it’s an interesting story, I’d love to hear. Great post!
– Mirko Lopes
Hi Mirko,
I love your idea of implementing an intersectional ideology. I think this would be the best start to solving all of these issues. Absolutely, we can’t help the earth or others if we are apart of the problem. I wish I had but I haven’t. There weren’t many protests where I grew up and when there were, my mom wouldn’t allow me to go. I grew up very close to Charlottesville and I’m Jewish, once the riots happened with the KKK and the right wing groups my mom wouldn’t let me go. All I have ever wanted to do was go out and speak up for my beliefs, I live on my own now so I think I finally have my chance to go to protests/marches.