ABSTRACT

Ecofeminists posit a close connection between women and nature based on a shared history of oppression by patriarchal institutions and dominant Western culture, as well as a positive identification by women with nature. Some ecofeminists attribute this connection to intrinsic biological attributes (an essentialist position), while others see the women/nature affinity as a social construct to be embraced and fostered (Plumwood 1993; Merchant 1981, 1989; King 1989; Shiva 1989; Mies and Shiva 1994; Rocheleau 1995). Feminist environmentalism as articulated by Bina Agarwal (1991)

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES FROM LOCAL EXPERIENCE Until recently, conventional wisdom in international environmental circles suggested that environmental issues in industrialized countries had to do with "quality of life," whereas in Africa, Asia, and Latin America they had to do with survival. If we compare the conservation agenda of wildlife organizations in the United States with the Chipko movement to protect the forests and watersheds of the lower Himalayas, or with women's tree-planting initiatives in Kenya, this view seems accurate. However, there are also wildlife conservation organizations in Africa and citizens' environmental justice movements in the United States. Toxic wastes, contaminated food, and workplace environmental hazards have become more than quality of life issues in many urban and industrial communities as well as in the remote rural areas affected by the same processes.