ABSTRACT
The history of almost all cultures is replete with the identification and association of women and nature. This nature-feminine principle has been a dominant theme of a new era of ‘eco-feminism’, a term that was originally conceived by the French feminist Francois d'Eubonne in 1974 to denote a philosophy that emphasized the ways in which both women and nature are victims of oppression, thereby advocating ways in which women must work to end the domination on nature if they were to work towards their own liberation. Historically, women have been portrayed as ‘nurturers’ or ‘protectors’ of nature because of their traditional gender roles in the family. Taking the Eco-feminist perspective, firstly, this chapter seeks to delve deeper in understanding the Khasi, a matrilineal tribe of Meghalaya in the North-Eastern region of India, who have a deep-rooted affinity with nature. The Khasi symbolize the earth as ‘Mei-Ramew’ meaning ‘mother earth’, thus bringing out the spiritual content of the earth as a mother who is a life-giving force, the source of all sustenance and the provider of all our basic needs. Thus, mother earth is an all-embracing sacred entity comprising the land, forest, streams, rivers, hills and everything contained in it. Secondly, the chapter looks into the linkages among women, motherhood, fertility, matriliny and spirituality in the context of the problems faced by the Khasi women with regard to ownership and control of land, decision-making and livelihood strategies of Khasi rural women. Finally, the chapter explores the role of the Government, Planners and the local bodies in addressing the needs of the rural women and tries to argue that there is an urgent need to recognize the role of women in environmental decision-making process as well as to revive their traditional roles as natural resource managers.
