Month: February 2025

1. I believe that the photo was picked based on many reasons. The person in the photo is much smaller than the meat itself. To me, this shows how the animal industry and animals in general are much larger than the human percentile. Also, to my eye, it looks like a male is cutting the food because it is a big piece of meat and not something like a salad. This shows a gender role towards the meat. 
2. Gendered food is putting food into two divisions. These divisions include Masculine and Feminine gender roles. A great example of this practice is that a large meaty steak covered in Ajoue is considered Masculine and a basic green salad is considered Feminine. This goes with saying there are certain reasons why there are gendered foods. This can be because of beliefs or religion, personal choice, and society norms. A great example for this could also be how meat is considered masculine based on men consuming meat back when they hunted meals. Over time these gender roles progressed into social norms of what we should eat.   A Lot of menus back in the day had food for women that had no meat and mostly vegetables. Consumption of meat was like a reward and therefore the man would always eat meat products. 
3. Greta Gaard examines how the dynamics between what we eat and what we are supposed to eat by social norms is similar to and stems from Racism and classism. Goes on with the statement that are dynamics between human dietary practices, the environment and Systems of social oppression.  The relationship based on Gaard states that “racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, and naturism” (p. 119) align with ecofeminism thought. 

“ It is one thing to inflict pain on animals when geography offers no other choice. But in the case of killing animals for human consumption where there is a choice, this practice inflicts pain that is completely unnecessary and avoidable.(Curtin) This is one piece of what Deane Curtain has to say about the relations between animals and ecofeminists. In this part of Curtins essay, he talks about how there is a moral aspect to vegetarianism.This is the injunction to care. It is one thing to have to kill another animal to be able to feed yourself or your family but it is another to harm an animal in an inhumane way to add more food to your table that is not needed. There lies a distinctive line on what is moral and what is not according to Curtin. I believe that both of these authors have the credits and the knowledge to explain how women are similar to animals and their treatments are also the same in aspects. 

Citations- 

Curtin, Deane. “Toward an Ecological Ethic of Care.” Hypatia, vol. 6, no. 1, Mar. 1991, pp. 60–74, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1527-2001.1991.tb00209.x. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.

animal clock. “2019 U.S. Animal Kill Clock.” Animal Clock, 2019, animalclock.org/.

Gaard, Greta. Ecofeminism. Temple University Press, 3 Sept. 2010.

What is the meaning of Ecofeminism

Ecofeminism originated from the 1970s when feminism and environmental movements started to become one. Both contribute to the degradation of each subject and intersect with each other. In 1974 a book was published called Le Féminisme ou la More by Francoise d’eaubonne. The title translates to feminism or death. This was the first push of Environmental theories and feminism combined as one. As stated in Ecofeminasm Hobgod-oster, “Ecofeminsm asserts that all forms of oppression are connected and that structures of oppression must be addressed in their totality”. This is stating that All forms of struggle or control are all connected and must be addressed in total instead of separate occasions. 

How do concepts of nature and concepts or women align within each other? Are there similarities between the both?  The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the connection between women and nature is reproduction and the instinct to nurture. Women are able to bring new life into this world the same way the earth allows trees to grow and gives environments to animals . 

 you may ask yourself how women and the planet share similarities regarding ecofeminism in a general aspect. There is not just one but multiple factors that lead into the idea that women and the Earth share similar traits. What an ecofeminist does is create an opportunity in life for everything on this planet. We want equality and justice for all living things on this planet. 

The Chipko movement is a non- violent social movement in rural villages.  Bird Chipco means to hug or grab.  This is prevalent as the meaning is much deeper and can be used for many instances. An example from the article “Ecofeminism: Women and Nature” by Ridona Berisha is to hug trees instead of chopping them down for our own use.  movement was started in India in the 70s when the government wanted to cut down over two thousand trees near the small villages in india.  The term Tree huggers come from this movement as women would hug the trees in the small villages to prevent them from being cut down by the government. This individual movement went on overnight making it impossible to cut the trees down. Later on, the government sided and agreed with the women protecting these trees and the damage it could cause. What movement brought many together and allowed women to come together to promote not only what is right for the environment and the land but what is right for our rights as well.

 The Green Belt movement came into place to protect the environment by women and to protect their own lives. When you think of Ecofeminism , it is much more than feminists or Ecology, it is the power of supporting and protecting the environment and what it creates for us which is concordant to women. 

Works Cited- 

Pikepamja. “Ecofeminism: Women and Nature.” PIKEPAMJA, 23 Sept. 2022, pikepamja.net/en/ecofeminism-women-and-nature/#:~:text=Given%20that%20we%20live%20in,exploitation%20of%20women%20and%20nature. 

Hobgood-Oster, Laura. Ecofeminism: Historic and International Evolution , 18 Aug. 2008.