A Challenge for Ecofeminism: Gender, Greening and Community Forestry in India
Author(s)
Agarwal, Bina
Abstract
The ecofeminist perspective that defines women’s relationships to nature in essentialist terms poses a challenge to conventional development projects. The emancipatory agenda shared by feminists and ecology has been justified on the basis of common histories of oppression and mutual needs for liberation. This examination of ecofeminist issues in the context of community forestry initiatives looks at village community forest groups (CFGs) in India, where women’s lives are intimately involved with forest management, and where they are not represented in the decision-making process. The participation of women is limited by logistical constraints, official male bias, social constraints, lack of a critical mass of women, and lack of recognized authority.
