The ecofeminist interconnected “web” perspective is the “relationship between the domination of women and the domination of nature” (Kings, 70). The ecofeminist interconnected perspective says that “the oppressions of women and nature are linked ‘conceptually, historically, materially but not essentially’ (Mallory 2010, 309)—that is, at least not any more or less essentially than their male counterparts” (Kings, 70). This means that the struggle of women to be equal is related to the struggle of nature to be appreciated, taken care of, and valued. The ecofeminism perspective is about the inseparable bond between women and nature due to the oppressions that both face by men. Also, part of the ecofeminist interconnected perspective includes the idea that humans are above nature. As we discussed in one of the past weeks, we have been taught that humans are more important than nature, which leads us to not care about nature and harm it. At the same time, society has been conditioned to think that men are above women, which explains why we live in a patriarchal society where women are not entirely free and equal. One more time, this shows the similarity between women and nature in terms of oppression.

If we want to end gender inequality, we have to recognize that our planet is in danger and that this issue is closely related to the issue of women. Therefore, in order for women to be free and equal, nature has to be free and equal (vice versa) because “this dualistic conception of culture/nature seeks to maintain both the ‘ecological superiority of humans and the cultural superiority of men’ (Mallory 2010, 309), meaning that the liberation of women cannot be achieved without the simultaneous liberation of nature from the clutches of exploitation” (Kings, 70). This is an amazing concept because it makes sense that if women are oppressed by men, and nature and women share a bond, then both women and nature will be affected by this oppression. This means that if women are liberated, then nature will also be liberated because women will have the chance to fight for nature if we’re free. This goes back to what we discussed on the topic of women and government, and how it is good for nature if women are in positions of power because women will advocate for nature. Men can advocate for nature as well, but it is obvious that women have a stronger connection to nature than men, so us women are the best suited to take care of nature and educate others on how to do it too.

There is another popular concept that goes hand-to-hand with the ecofeminist interconnected “web” perspective, intersectionality. Intersectionality is defined as, “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage” (Oxford). This concept was first introduced by Kimberle Crenshaw “to highlight the inability of a single-axis framework to capture the lived experiences of black women” (Kings, 63). Later on, this concept became widely used to connect different types of discriminations and show that they’re all important and affect each other, which is very similar to what ecofeminists believe. Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “No one is free until we are all free.” It is also important to mention that “ecofeminists have been ‘doing intersectionality’ for many years before Crenshaw first explicitly defined it in 1989” (Kings, 70). Ecofeminism itself is intersectionality because this discipline advocates for two social issues at the same time.

The ecofeminist interconnected perspective is important for ecology because “ecofeminism puts forth the idea that life in nature is maintained through cooperation, mutual care and love. It is an activist and academic movement, and its primary aim is to address and eliminate all forms of domination while recognizing and embracing the interdependence and connection humans have with the earth” (“The Growing Importance of Ecofeminism”, Jessica Schmonsky). This is good for ecology, or nature, because “cooperation, mutual care and love” brings people together, which means that everyone would be taking care of the environment collaboratively. This does not exclude race, religion, class, etc. because we are all surrounded by nature regardless of our individual circumstances. Ecofeminism has a positive effect on social issues overall because by advocating for nature and women, it’s advocating for low-class women, women of all races and nationalities, disabled women, lesbian women, straight women, etc. Like I said, no matter our individual circumstances, we are all surrounded by nature, so ecofeminism brings everyone together to fight for a common cause, ecology.

Annotated Bibliography

Schmonsky, J. (2012, October 22). The Growing Importance of Ecofeminism. Retrieved from https://voicesforbiodiversity.org/articles/the-growing-importance-of-ecofeminism

This article is from the website Voices for Biodiversity and it’s about ecofeminism and its effect on people from all over the world. It also discusses the roots of the ecofeminist movement, in other words, its history. The author defines ecofeminism as “a new term for ancient wisdom”. The three paths that paved the way for ecofeminist thought were the study of history and political theory, the introduction to nature-based religion, and last but not least, environmentalism. Finally, the article ends by mentioning today’s ecofeminists, what they are doing, and how to get involved.